


lights, camera, action

by Vitexy



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Actors, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Come Eating, Contracts, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Humor, I honestly lost the plot of this a long time ago, M/M, Oral Sex, San is a pawn, Sex Toys, Smut, Yunho and Seonghwa are actors, fake dating au, poor babie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:48:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 36,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28273374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vitexy/pseuds/Vitexy
Summary: seonghwa hates his self proclaimed nemesis and rival, yunho, and is gleefully delighted when he gets swept up in a dating scandal. or he's delighted until they hire his personal assistant as part of an elaborate scheme for damage control.or: the fake dating au nobody likes lol
Relationships: Choi San/Jeong Yunho
Comments: 48
Kudos: 260





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of times I've been challenged and goaded into writing Yunho as a mean asshole or something, and THIS is the best I can manage. Fucking sigh. 
> 
> I am like....so distracted trying to write a bunch of different things right now, but this one is probably the one going the most smooth so pls have a small part of it and tell me what you think (I need motivation to finish this or anything rn ;n;)

San holds the coffee cup carefully in his hands as he throws his body against the door of the set, grunting as he forces it open. The thing is unnecessarily heavy in San’s opinion. The first day of filming here, Seonghwa had outright laughed at him when San struggled to open the door. 

It was embarrassing. 

He’s careful not to let any of the coffee spill out as he stumbles his way inside when the door suddenly gives way and opens up for him. A little bit of coffee spills out onto the lid and San cringes. Seonghwa is going to scold him for it, and while San can’t say he’s particularly scared of the actor he helps assist he definitely doesn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of his petty wraths. 

Sucking in a deep breath, San swiftly makes his way over to Seonghwa who’s lounging in one of the set chairs as his hairstylist carefully plays with his hair. He might as well just get this over with. Seonghwa looks up when San skids up to his side, using both hands to respectfully hand the coffee over to the actor. 

Seonghwa takes it with a little sigh of appreciation, pausing when he notices the coffee stain on the lid. He lifts his eyes up to San who smiles innocently back at him. _Actors_ , the assistant thinks with a mental roll of his eyes. They’re so peculiar about certain things. 

Luckily, he’s saved from one of Seonghwa’s petty tantrums about wasting some of his precious coffee when the director yells a loud “Cut!” 

Both San and Seonghwa look up as the director motions for everyone to gather around with a pleased smile on his face. San can’t blame him. Today is the last day of filming before the movie is set to go into production and editing. Seonghwa sighs as he reluctantly peels himself out of the chair to make his way over to the director. San stands by like a loyal dog, eyes catching sight of the lead actor walking off the set to join them. 

San licks his lips as he shamelessly ogles Jung Yunho. He’s known who Yunho was since before Seonghwa even landed a role in this movie. An up and coming actor, Jung Yunho is all over San’s social media feeds as well as in a lot of advertisements lately. 

San can see why. The man is like a dream come true if San’s being truthful. He has the face and body of an actor without a doubt and, from what San had managed to get a glimpse of over the course of their film shooting, he certainly isn’t lacking in the talent department either. 

The director congratulates everyone on a job well done, thanking the crew and the cast for their hard work. Yunho does the same, bowing deeply as he thanks the director for giving him his first major role. Then he motions to his staff who quickly rush forward with little bags and starts handing out energy drinks to everyone. 

San bites back a laugh at the way Seonghwa reluctantly takes one from one of Yunho’s staff members before he startles when one of them holds one out for him as well. San accepts it with a smile. And that’s the other thing about Jung Yunho. He’s so fucking polite in San’s opinion. He’s good at his job and humble to those around him and he always seems so sweet and nice to his staff. 

There’s just one glaring problem. 

San scrambles to grab Seonghwa’s belongings when the veteran actor makes his way back to San and his other staff members, a scowl in place when no one can see it. “I hate that fucking prick,” he grumbles under his breath as San heaves Seonghwa’s numerous bags over his shoulders. Seonghwa shoves the energy drink he’d been given into his assistant’s hand, telling him to take it. 

“I don’t get it,” San tells him as he finishes packing Seonghwa’s items away so they can move on to his next schedule. “He seems really nice.” 

“He’s really not,” Seonghwa denies. “It’s just a front. You know, protect his image or whatever.” 

San blinks at him. “Don’t you do the same thing?” 

Seonghwa glares at his assistant who shrinks back under his gaze. “I don’t stage shit like this,” he denies. He snaps his fingers at San, signaling for him to hurry up. “Let’s go. I’m on a tight schedule today.” 

Grumbling, San adjusts the straps over his shoulder before he scrambles after Seonghwa who is quickly trying to escape the set. “Are you sure this isn’t just because you got a supporting role instead of the lead?” he pouts. 

Seonghwa pivots on his heels to glare at him. “What was that?” 

“Nothing,” San squeaks, frantically motioning for the van when their driver pulls up to pick them up. 

“It sounded like you were dissing me for not getting the lead role. I’d have done a _much_ better job too, just so we’re clear.” Seonghwa ducks his head down as he climbs into the van. San follows after him, losing his balance to the bags as he tumbles into the seat next to the actor. 

“That’s not what I meant at all,” San denies. “I’m just...you haven’t been in anything since last year because of your surgery. I don’t think it’s too surprising that you didn’t come back in a lead role. And it’s good for your health anyways! That way you don’t overwork yourself or anything.” San carefully slips out of the various straps on his shoulders, carefully placing each bag in the very back seat. 

Seonghwa doesn’t seem any more satisfied with his explanation. “Hey, are you saying I’m too old for a lead role now?” he asks. 

San sputters because how was that going to be Seonghwa’s interpretation? “No! I’m just saying that you shouldn’t be so upset that someone else got the lead role in your first comeback film. Besides, Yunho is a good actor, don’t you think?”

“I’m better,” Seonghwa sniffs. 

“Well, look on the bright side, filming is over. The last thing you’ll have to do is just show up for the premiere and it’s not like you have to interact with Yunho then,” San tries to placate him as he hands over the extra energy drink. 

Seonghwa recoils from it like the thing offends him. “I’m not drinking that.” He makes a shooing motion towards it. 

“You might need it. You have a tight schedule today.” San tries to offer it out to him, but the actor resolutely refuses. With a shrug, San twists the cap off and downs it himself. 

  
  
  
  


A couple days later San is scrolling through social media as he quickly scarfs down a piece of toast for breakfast. It’s his usual morning routine. He’s finishing off the last bite of his toast when one comment catches his attention in particular. 

It’s about Jung Yunho, and San rationalizes that it’s totally fine for him to be curious. This is Seonghwa’s most recent co-star. The movie they made is not even close to release yet. And anyways, Seonghwa loves a healthy amount of gossip, so it’s a perfectly normal situation all around. It’s definitely not because San has been star struck since they first started filming and Yunho had come over to them to greet Seonghwa as his co-star. Nope. It’s definitely not because San likes to lowkey stalk the actor’s online presence. 

He scrolls through his feed, choking when he finally grasps the situation at hand. His first thought is _Oh, shit. This is bad_. Immediately followed by, _Seonghwa’s going to fucking love this_. He scratches his head, unsure of how he feels about the whole thing personally because apparently Jung Yunho had been caught by some paparazzi leaving a hotel with someone. 

The obvious question is if he’s dating someone. San’s social media feed has more than enough opinions on that. There also seems to be a divide in the discussion because he’d been spotted with a man. San practically watched an argument unfold before him between someone who vehemently denied that it could be a date, proposing that perhaps he’d just been meeting a friend, while someone else argued that the photos speak for themselves.

And okay, so San goes snooping for those photos.

They’re shit quality, grainy and dark. Yunho is easy to make out with his tall frame although his face is pretty well concealed between a mask and a baseball cap. His...friend or partner or whatever is goddamn ambiguous. San cranks up the brightness of his phone and zooms in on the photo but he can’t make out the guy at all. He can, however, make out the way Yunho has an arm draped around the person, and, well, did that really signify their type of relationship. 

_They were spotted leaving a_ hotel _. You can’t honestly be that stupid_. 

San stares at that comment and decides that yeah, this person has a point. 

The debate continues to unfold all over his feed, but San just sits and wonders if this is going to be bad for the movie premiere because Seonghwa kind of needed this to go well. He hadn’t been in the public eye for a while due to his recovery, and the movie flopping because of a scandal definitely wouldn’t help. 

Also, San is maybe a little bit disappointed. But only a little.

Yunho isn’t single, huh? 

He quickly quashes that feeling down because it's really not helpful or appropriate at this moment.

He flips his phone over and chugs the last of his orange juice down. He needs to get to work soon. This could be bad. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa is easy enough to find at the company. There’s a very specific lounge room that’s technically open for everyone to use, but everyone also kind of knows that it pretty much belongs to Seonghwa at this point, so they steer clear. San only has to peek his head into the room before he spots Seonghwa holding his phone up, practicing different expressions and positions for a selfie. 

“Seonghwa,” San hisses his name as he slips into the room, making sure to lock the door behind him. 

The actor drops his phone into his lap and breathes a sigh of relief when he sees San. “Oh, thank God. You’re here.” He rearranges himself on the couch he’s occupying and offers his phone out to San. “Here. I need you to take a good picture of me so I can upload it. My selfie angles are all sorts of fucked up today. Oh, and I need an iced coffee afterwards. Like as soon as possible.” He raises an eyebrow when San doesn’t take his phone. 

“Hello?” He shakes the device in San’s face who grabs it from his hands and tosses it onto the couch pressed against one of the walls. Seonghwa’s lips part in shock at his assistant’s behavior, and he sits up a little straighter. 

“Did you see the news?” San asks before Seonghwa can tear into him. 

Seonghwa blinks at the younger man. “What news?” he asks. 

San pulls out his own phone from his back pocket, frantically searching for the posts he had seen earlier this morning. “Look,” he says as he huddles in close to Seonghwa to show him his phone. “Yunho’s caught up in a dating scandal of some sort.” 

“Really!” Seonghwa sounds way too excited about that as he takes San’s phone and begins to scroll through his feed. San twiddles with his fingers, watching Seonghwa intently as he goes through every little message he sees. Seonghwa’s face morphs from one of concern into one of pure delight, like he’s just received the best gift ever. “Oh. This is perfect. I _told_ you it was a front!” He hands San’s phone back to him. 

“Are you happy?” San blinks. 

“Of course I am!” Seonghwa laughs as he settles back into his chair. “Do you know how long it’s going to take to recover from this? God. I mean, it’d be one thing if he just had a boyfriend—but that? That’s damaging.” He purses his lips up and taps his chin thoughtfully. “This is great. I can leap off of his mistake and my career will be back on track in no time.” 

San looks down at his phone, confused by Seonghwa’s scheming. “I mean, it could be his boyfriend…” he trails off. 

“What kind of person meets their boyfriend at a hotel?” Seonghwa rolls his eyes at San’s naivety. “That’s no boyfriend. I can tell you that much.” 

“But, like, if it is that would be a good thing? That’s what you’re saying?” 

Seonghwa shrugs his shoulders. “I mean, sure. Probably. He’s already out, and tons of people have supported him for it, but it never looks good to be caught with a one night stand, you know? He should have been more careful.” Despite his words, Seonghwa has a big smile plastered on his face like he suddenly believes in divine intervention. Then he frowns as his eyes meet San’s. “Why are you so worried about him? Are you his assistant now or something?” 

San sputters, shaking his head. “No! I was just...I mean what if this scandal causes problems for us too? This is your first and only project this year!” The movie isn’t set to be released until the fall, and Seonghwa currently has no other roles to make up for that gap. “It would be bad for us if the movie suffered because of this.” 

“Oh, please,” Seonghwa waves his hand dismissively, “ _I’m_ the deuteragonist of this movie. I’m not worried about it at all. This is a great stepping stone. I won’t have to compete with his fake ass anymore.” 

“I think you should be more worried about this,” San warns him. 

Seonghwa sits up in his seat and shakes his head at his assistant. “No. I have nothing to be worried about. Now hurry up and help me take a picture, and I still want that coffee.” He points to his phone lying abandoned on the couch. 

With a groan, San shuffles over to the couch to snatch the phone up, flipping through Seonghwa’s absurd amount of apps to find his favorite filter app. He’s holding up the phone while Seonghwa tries to settle on a pose that he finds flattering for himself when there’s a knock at the door. 

San turns to look at it before looking to Seonghwa for approval. The actor curls his lips up in annoyance. “Ignore it,” he advises as he shifts to give San his profile. The knock comes again louder followed by Yeosang’s distinct voice. 

“Park Seonghwa! The boss needs to talk to you.” 

Seonghwa deflates and reluctantly pulls himself out of the chair. San slips his phone back into his pocket and trails after him as they make their way to the door. Seonghwa unlocks it, opening it just enough so that he can poke his head out and pout at Yeosang. “What’s this about?” he asks. 

Yeosang shrugs his shoulders, his ever present tablet in hand. “I don’t know. Is San with you though?” 

“Here!” San calls out from behind Seonghwa. 

“She wants him to come too,” Yeosang says. 

“Now?” 

Yeosang cocks an eyebrow at the actor like he’s daring Seonghwa to throw a little tantrum. “Now,” he confirms. “And hurry. I don’t know what the hell this is about, but she sounded stressed and angry.” 

“Ugh, fine,” Seonghwa concedes, but Yeosang doesn’t stick around. Immediately the secretary heads off to take care of whatever it is their boss makes him do. Seonghwa opens the door and turns to look at San who looks terrified. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He motions for San to leave. 

“Yeosang said the boss wanted me to come,” he stammers out, practically tripping over his feet on the way out. 

“You’re my assistant,” Seonghwa points out as he lets the door swing shut again before leading the way to their CEO’s office. “Of course you’re supposed to be there. What if I need something during the meeting?” 

“But I _never_ go in with you when you meet with her,” San points out. 

“And that’s the problem. Half the time I need a glass of water or something, and there’s no one to do that for me.” San pauses to glare at Seonghwa’s back, but the actor just laughs. “I’m joking! Maybe she’s just going to give you a raise or some shit. You’ve been here for two years now, and I always praise you to her.” 

San pouts but still isn’t too sure how he feels about this. Yeah, he’s been here for two years, but the first year had just been an internship. That internship had turned into an actual job offer that San took because he didn’t actually know what he wanted to do after graduating with a degree in filmmaking, and Seonghwa had been kind of fun to work for. Plus, the pay is pretty decent for just being an errand boy more or less, but San doesn’t think this has anything to do with a raise. This job isn’t even technically supposed to exist, but Seonghwa had whined until they’d given him an “assistant.” 

“What if she’s going to fire me?” San bemoans. 

“What the hell would she fire you for? You haven’t done anything.” 

“Maybe that’s why I’m going to be fired!” 

“Oh, stop it.” Seonghwa waves him off as they approach the CEO’s office. The blinds are drawn over the window, which isn’t entirely unusual, but it fills San with a sense of dread. She only ever does that when she’s in a foul mood. “This probably has nothing to do with you.” 

San wants to believe Seonghwa because he literally is a nobody here. Their CEO can’t even remember his name half the time, just calls him “Seonghwa’s boy” but that’s exactly why he’s a little put off by Yeosang’s request that San join them. If this had nothing to do with him _why_ the hell did he need to be present? 

Seonghwa opens the door and walks in with a smile on his face and a greeting on his tongue, only to stop short when he realizes that his boss has guests over. He pauses just inside of the office, and San runs into him. 

Yongsun looks up when the two of them enter and she immediately smiles at them. “Oh, good. You’re here. Did you bring San with you?” 

“I’m here,” San mumbles as he peeks out from around Seonghwa’s body. 

Two people are already in her office, and San recognizes the both of them fast enough. Yunho is easy as hell to recognize, the man sitting next to him not so much, but San recognizes him from all the film sets. He’s Yunho’s manager, although he’d never quite caught his name. 

Yongsun motions for the last chair in front of her desk and tells Seonghwa to sit which he does. San awkwardly stands next to him because there are no other chairs left and, well, he’s not exactly used to standing in front of his boss. 

“Alright,” she sighs, folding her arms over her desk, “now that everyone is here we can get started.” 

Seonghwa turns his head to eye Yunho who gives him a sideways glance in response. San resolutely refuses to look at anyone in the room. The air is tense enough as it is, only feeding his anxieties further. But maybe this is a good thing. They wouldn’t discuss his firing in front of Yunho, would they? That would be awful. 

“Why’s he here?” Seonghwa finally blurts out as he motions to Yunho. 

“Seonghwa,” Yongsun says his name in warning as she neatly taps a paper packet against her desk. San glances at it curiously. It looks like a contract. 

No way.

“Don’t tell me we’re adopting him into our company,” Seonghwa pleads when he also notices that she’s holding a contract. 

“Don’t be an idiot,” Yongsun says sharply. “He’s under contract with his own agency. We’re here to discuss something else.” 

“Then what’s that for?” Seonghwa pesters her. Yunho sits back in his seat and releases an audible sigh that catches Seonghwa’s attention. He narrows his eyes at the young actor, and San has to reach out to tug on his shirt collar as reprimand. He doesn’t care if they don’t like each other. Now is not the time. 

Yongsun looks down at the contract in her hands and takes in a deep breath. “It’s for him.” She holds the little packet out for San. 

San doesn’t even notice at first, too busy keeping Seonghwa’s poor behavior in check, until Yongsun all but shoves it under his nose. He takes the contract and stares down at it without comprehending any of the words printed across the page. Why did she hand him the contract? 

“It’s for San?” Seonghwa asks. 

Yes, San agrees. It’s for him? “Uh, so what exactly is this for?” He asks because he literally can’t comprehend anything on it right now. 

Yongsun looks at Yunho and his manager before turning back to San with a wry smile. “Yunho has gotten himself into a little bit of trouble,” she says, but San immediately knows what she’s referring to. “We’d like to help him out.” 

Seonghwa snorts, looking over at Yunho smugly. “Oh, yeah. I heard about that. You should be more careful in the future.” 

Yunho’s eyes snap over to him, narrowing into an angry expression. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he says without a hint of sincerity there. San presses his lips into a thin line, feeling intensely uncomfortable in the presence of both actors. He wished they could at least pretend that they weren’t at each other’s throat right now. 

“I don’t...understand why I need a contract?” San tries again. 

“Well, you see,” Yunho’s manager speaks this time as he carefully stands up from his seat, walking around the chairs to stand in front of San. “We believe that if the public thinks this is a serious relationship, they’ll be more lenient. Part of Yunho’s brand is that he’s been quite open about his sexuality, but this whole thing just doesn’t look very good for us right now unless we can convince the public that he met a long term partner and that it was completely innocent.” 

He smiles at San in a way that doesn’t quite seem to reach his eyes. San has more than enough experience with those diplomatic expressions, made to invoke trust, and he eyes the manager warily. “I don’t think we’ve met properly. My name is Hongjoong,” he holds a hand out in greeting which San reluctantly takes. 

“Then just ask the guy he slept with?” San suggests, looking at his boss for approval. She groans and hides her face in her hands like he’d just thrown out the dumbest suggestion possible. 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Hongjoong coughs into his fist and eyes San from head to toe. “However, you bear a rather striking resemblance to the man Yunho met that night.” 

“Excuse me?” San asks because his mind blanks at the implication. Surely, that’s not what they’re asking him. Even Seonghwa startles in his seat, whipping his head back to stare at Yunho’s manager like he’s insane. 

“The contract details the stipulations of a relationship with Yunho,” Yongsun tells him as she motions to the contract in his hands. San jaw drops in shock. “It’s nothing too demanding. A couple of dates and we’d like you to appear together at the premiere and any red carpet events that Yunho will be attending for the rest of this year and early next year.” 

“Huh?” San looks down at the contract in his hands dumbly. They laid out a contract for fucking dating? 

“We just want to sell the image that he’s in a relationship,” Hongjoong assures him. “Just some outings to make sure the paparazzi can get some nice shots, and we’d like at least one kiss to be caught on camera.” 

San snaps his head up to stare at Hongjoong with wide, terrified eyes, but Seonghwa speaks for him. “You must be joking,” he sputters in disbelief, looking at his CEO with a betrayed expression. “Why the hell do we have to clean up his mess?” He jabs a finger in Yunho’s direction who’s kept his expression perfectly unreadable. 

“Because,” Yongsun says seriously, “he is the co-star of the first and only project you’re making this year. It would be _very bad_ for us if this movie were to suffer in light of a scandal.” 

“We also offer compensation to both you,” he motions to San, “and the company. I think you’ll find our payments will more than make up for this inconvenience.” 

“No,” Seonghwa denies immediately, looking up at San. Yongsun’s lips twitch in annoyance and she motions for Seonghwa to shut his mouth, but the actor doesn’t care. “Tell them no. You don’t have to sign that contract. They can’t make you.” 

“I—” San stutters because he doesn’t know what to do in this situation. He can barely even think. 

“Let me make this infinitely easier for you, San,” Yongsun suggests, smiling brightly at the assistant when he looks at her. “You sign that contract and do what they say, or you’re free to leave this company.” 

San freezes. None of this really feels like much of a choice. He looks at Hongjoong’s tight-lipped smile and then at Yongsun’s threatening one. His gaze drops down to Seonghwa who shakes his head and mouths to him to turn it down. Then finally he looks at Yunho who hasn’t so much as spared him a glance so far. “Okay…” he agrees in a small voice because what real choice does he have? With a smile, Yongsun hands him a pen which he tentatively takes. 

Seonghwa makes a noise of protest and rips the pen from San’s hand before he can sign it. “I disapprove,” he announces loudly so everyone can hear. 

“I really don’t care if you do,” Yongsun sings as she fishes out another pen from her desk. 

“He’s _my_ assistant,” Seonghwa protests. “Do I not get a say in this? You’re just going to sign away _my_ assistant to someone else? Do you not think that this will interfere with his...assisting duties?” 

Yongsun smiles at him but her annoyance is obvious behind the pull of her lips. “He will continue to be your assistant,” she assures him. “But his main priority will be selling this relationship to the public. It’s for your own good. And you can survive without him for a few months.” She motions for San to come to her desk, handing him another pen and pointing to where he needs to sign. 

“No, I can’t!” Seonghwa says dramatically. 

“Well, then learn how to,” she says dismissively as San signs the paperwork under her direction. 

Seonghwa flings himself back into his chair, rolling his head to the side to glare at Yunho. “You really have to take everything from me, don’t you?” he accuses. 

Yunho scoffs, but his lips curl up into a smug little smirk. Seonghwa fucking hates this guy. 

The meeting had ended with Hongjoong promising San that they had a date scheduled in two days. San had awkwardly laughed and waved as they left. Who talked like that anyways? They had a date scheduled in two days? It feels so artificial, and then he has to remind himself that it _is_ artificial. 

“How could you do this to me?” Seonghwa whined as soon as they were free from the office. “You’re supposed to be loyal to me!” 

“I am,” San declares. “I’m doing this for you, so that the movie premiere will be successful.” 

Seonghwa narrows his eyes at his assistant. “It’s not because you think Jung Yunho is cute?”

“He’s good looking,” San admits, laughing when Seonghwa scoffs in disbelief. “But I don’t know anything about him. I mean, you heard the boss and his manager. This is just fake until this stupid thing blows over and then things will go back to normal.” 

Seonghwa still seems displeased. “We should have just let him suffer. He made a mistake. He should pay for it.” 

“He is,” San points out. “He’s paying me and the company. So in a way he’s kind of paying you too.” It’s juvenile, but Seonghwa actually brightens up at the logic. 

Glad that Seonghwa finally seems placated, San can’t help but worry over Hongjoong’s words. He had a date. A scheduled date. With a young, up and coming actor. San scratches his nose and looks at Seonghwa. “What should I wear to a date?” 

  
  
  
  


San double checks the time on his phone for the hundredth time in the past few minutes as he looks up and down the residential street where his apartment building is. Hongjoong had said that they would swing by at 4:30 to pick him up, so he needed to be ready by then. He looks down at himself, tugging on his oversized sweater and praying that he looks decent enough for a date. 

San isn’t exactly sure how to dress for a date, and Seonghwa had simply told him that he should look cute. “It’s your best quality,” he told San when the younger man had asked. “Besides, the whole thing is fake anyways. Who cares how you look? Yunho?” He scoffed at the notion before turning his attention back to his mobile game. 

Fiddling with his sweater paws, San wonders if it’s so bad that he cares what Yunho thinks about how he looks. Yeah, this is all staged to make it _look_ like Yunho is in a relationship, but it wouldn’t hurt to put in the effort to actually appease him as if San really were his boyfriend, right?

Right?

A sleek, black SUV pulls up to the curb, and San startles back before the door in front of him opens. Yunho leans over the seat to peer up at him, eyeing him briefly before he shakes his head and sits upright. 

“You look terrible,” he comments as San climbs in. 

The assistant pauses, looking down at himself again. His shoulders hunch forward. So he hadn’t succeeded in impressing his boyfriend. Fake boyfriend, Seonghwa’s voice reminds him in the back of his mind. So it didn’t actually matter. Hongjoong turns in the front passenger seat to look as well, his smile falling when his eyes land on San. 

San suddenly feels defensive. “What?” he squawks, wrapping his arms around himself to try and hide his fashion sense. He thought he looked cute when he left. Even his mom had noticed, asking if he had any special plans when San had tried to run out of the apartment before anyone noticed. 

Yunho glances at him before looking back at his phone screen. San frowns. He’s just like Seonghwa. “You look like a little kid,” he says. “I’m supposed to be your boyfriend. Not your babysitter.” 

San sputters but can’t really deny that Yunho probably has a point. He looks appallingly handsome in his well fitted jeans and long, grey overcoat. His cream colored sweater is a nice contrast to that. And San admittedly feels a little childish in his own oversized sweater and jeans. “I don’t really have anything nice enough to wear on a date,” he defends in a pouty tone. “I thought this was casual?” 

Hongjoong grimaces and looks at Yunho who sighs as he lifts his gaze up from his phone. “Should I cancel that reservation?” his manager asks. 

“No. I like that place, and it’ll be too much of a hassle to disseminate where we’re going to the paparazzi again.” 

San blinks and looks at Yunho like he’s betrayed him. “You told the paparazzi where we’re going to be?” 

Yunho cocks his head to the side as he stares at San like he’s an idiot. “You do realize the whole point of this is so that they think we’re dating? Of course we made sure they knew where to find us. It’d be a literal waste of time if we went somewhere and no one caught a glimpse of us.” 

San’s heart pangs a little at Yunho’s words even though they made complete sense. “Oh, right,” he concedes, looking down at his light washed jeans. “I really don’t have anything else though. I’m not—I don’t—” San doesn’t know what to say. He’s not an actor like Yunho or Seonghwa. He’s just a normal guy trying to get by, and he’s never had a boyfriend let alone a date with anyone. Ever. 

“Let’s take him to Wooyoung,” Hongjoong suggests. “Maybe he can scrounge up something that would be more appropriate?” 

“Whatever. Let’s just be quick about it though. We have a schedule to keep, and I have plans later this evening.” 

San shrinks under each of Yunho’s words as the car finally pulls away from the curb. The actor stretches his arms up above his head, releasing a tired little yawn, before he picks his phone up in his lap and continues with whatever he’d been doing earlier. 

He doesn’t spare San a second look or anything else for that matter. 

  
  
  
  


Wooyoung is, apparently, Yunho’s stylist. Maybe also his friend. Yunho at least seems happy when they enter his studio, a smile on his face that San’s seen a lot on set and pretty much nowhere else so far. He trails after the actor who doesn’t even hold the door open for him. Hongjoong opts to stay in the car, telling them to hurry although he’ll try to call the restaurant to let them know they’re running a little late. 

“Who’s the kid?” Wooyoung asks after he finally pulls away from Yunho’s hug. San scowls at the description. Kid. Did he really just dress like a little kid? Oversized was _fashionable_. 

“Boyfriend,” Yunho says, patting San on the head. He kind of hates how much he likes the touch. 

“Are you serious?” Wooyoung laughs, holding a hand over his mouth as he looks at his friend. 

“Fake,” Yunho clarifies. 

“Oh.” Wooyoung drags out the ‘o’ sound as he nods his head in understanding. “So? Why’d you bring him here?” 

“I was hoping you could clean him up. We have a ‘date’ but, uh,” Yunho says the word date with air quotes and trails off as he gives San a once over. “We’re also short on time, so just literally anything. I don’t need you to play dress up with him.” 

Wooyoung motions for San to come closer, shooting Yunho a glare for that last remark. “I wasn’t planning to,” he says. “Go sit down and wait somewhere. I need like ten minutes max.” He places a hand between San’s shoulder blades, guiding him further into the studio. 

San watches with a feeling of dread as Wooyoung looks through his collection in search of something more appropriate for San to wear. “You don’t have any dress shirts or anything?” he asks conversationally as he picks up a shirt and holds it up to San for a quick inspection. 

“I don’t really need fancy clothes,” he says. The dress code at work was non-existent for him since he was just Seonghwa’s assistant, and Seonghwa never cared what he wore. 

“It’s not fancy,” Wooyoung scolds him. “It’s a basic piece of clothing all men should own.” He tsks, unable to really get a feel for it because of San’s baggy shirt. “Can you take that thing off?” 

“What? My sweater?” San squeaks, gripping the hem of it protectively. 

“Yeah. I can’t tell what your figure looks like at all. You have nice legs, but up here it’s all,” Wooyoung makes a vague motion to his torso and shrugs. “Baggy?” 

“I’m not going to take off my shirt. Just give me something to try on and we can go from there—”

“No time!” Wooyoung cuts him off. He flings the shirt he’d grabbed aside in favor of taking hold of the hem of San’s sweater. He squeaks when the stylist pulls it up enough to reveal his stomach. San squeezes his elbows into his sides to keep him from going any further though. “Stop being a shy little baby about this. It’ll be so much faster if I can just get a feel for your body,” Wooyoung says. 

“But I don’t want you to feel my body,” San complains. 

Wooyoung scoffs, moving his hands around to the back of San’s shirt. “I’m not going to touch you.” He tugs that up and over San’s head easily enough, cackling as the kid makes a noise of surprise and then starts to complain. Pulling it off is easier from there, and Wooyoung tosses the wretched thing to the floor before looking at San to get a good look of his body. 

San crosses his arms over his bare chest, doing his best to hide from Wooyoung’s scrutiny. The stylist doesn’t care though, able to see San’s figure easily enough despite his attempts to hide. “My God, kid,” Wooyoung whispers, eyes rapidly scanning over San’s form. “Your figure is amazing.” 

San blanches at the compliment, his hands slipping from his shoulders. “Is it?” he asks, looking satisfied by the compliment. 

“Yeah.” And despite his earlier promise not to touch San he places his hands on San’s shoulders and runs them across and down his torso to his waist. “You have nice, broad shoulders and it tapers off into the smallest waist. You’re pretty.” 

San’s face heats up at the compliment, and he can’t hide the smile that tugs at the corner of his lips. No one’s ever called him pretty before. San admits he doesn’t have a very extensive list of suitors in his life. And by that he means one girl who had liked him back in high school only for San to turn her down because she just didn’t quite fit his type. For obvious reasons. 

Point being that there have not been many people who have ever told San that he’s pretty, and he absolutely basks in the praise. 

“I don’t get why you would hide it behind such an ugly piece of clothing.” Wooyoung kicks San’s oversized sweater away and picks up the shirt he had previously discarded. “Now let’s _actually_ get you ready for a date.” 

Ten minutes later, Wooyoung pulls San in front of one of his full length mirrors so he can catch a glimpse of his appearance now, and he nearly does a double take. It’s not really his style—he reaches up to cover the portion of his neck and chest that peeks out of the top two buttons Wooyoung has undone—but he likes the way he looks. At any rate he looks like he’d fit next to Yunho better with his blazer that does an oddly fantastic job of balancing his look between upscale and sophisticated while maintaining a casual air to it all.

San trails after the stylist when Wooyoung leads San back to the front of the studio where Yunho is waiting. He bounces on the balls of his feet as he walks, giddy with anticipation for Yunho’s response. The actor is on his phone as he tends to be when he’s bored or waiting, San’s noticed. He does glance up when they come back, eyes briefly raking over San’s form before he picks himself up from his chair and pockets his phone. 

He doesn’t say anything as he motions for San to head for the car, and San’s smile drops because what else was he expecting? Wooyoung butts in for him. “At least say something!” Wooyoung complains. “You dropped by out of nowhere and asked me to fix him up for you so at least say something!” 

“You did an amazing job as usual,” Yunho tells him, laughing when Wooyoung scrunches his nose up in annoyance. “What do you want me to say?” 

“You’re insufferable,” Wooyoung complains, spinning around on his heels to give the actor his back. “Go on then! Don’t you have a pretend date to go on?” 

San frowns, bitterness pooling in his heart as Wooyoung and Yunho shoo him out the door and towards the car. He looks nicer, but the blazer does little to protect him against the cool bite of the autumn wind. He wants his sweater back. 

  
  
  
  


The restaurant Yunho and Hongjoong had referenced having a reservation for is not anything that San expects. He stares at it apprehensively from the window of the car as Yunho’s chauffeur expertly parallel parks at the curb in front of it. Just from the appearance San can tell that this place is upscale, and not the kind of upscale San’s parents might take him to for his birthday. It’s the kind of upscale that he would never dream of going to because he would never fit in with the clientele. 

He’s suddenly consumed with the desire to just go home. 

“Here?” he asks reluctantly, pointing at the establishment as he turns to look at Yunho. 

“I like it. The food’s really good,” the actor says as he slips on a pair of sunglasses. He turns to face San who stares at him like a wounded prey. “What?” 

“I can’t afford this,” San whines pitifully. 

“Well, then I suppose it’s a good thing that you’re getting paid for this, aren’t you?” Yunho’s voice is taunting, and San flinches from it. 

Hongjoong peers out his own window, eyes flicking up and down the street in search of something, while San sits still in his seat. So far nobody has made any move to get out of the car, and San is reluctant to be the first one. “Oh, I see one,” Hongjoong announces, pointing off in the distance. 

San cranes his head in a half-hearted attempt to look, but he doesn’t really care. Yunho actually leans over the console, straining to see what Hongjoong spots. “Where?” he asks as his manager points. 

“There. There!” 

San stares at the two of them but doesn’t ask. He’s starting to get a feel of what exactly his role is, and being a person in front of them is clearly not it. It takes a second longer before Yunho appears to catch sight of whatever Hongjoong spotted, and he pulls back with an “okay.” 

He looks over at San who raises an eyebrow in question and tells him, “Time to uphold your end of the contract.” 

San doesn’t know what he means by that until Yunho squeezes past him to open the door on San’s side. The younger man squeezes himself into his seat as Yunho slips by him to step out of the car, and, getting the idea that they’re finally going inside, San scrambles to unbuckle himself and follow after Yunho before the actor can just abandon him again. Only he stops short when he realizes Yunho is holding a hand out for him as an invitation. 

San stares at the offending limb for a brief moment before his eyes trail up to Yunho’s eyes. Is this a test of some sort? San moves to just get out of the car, freezing when Yunho shoves his hand in front of his face again. “Take it,” the actor orders with a tight smile on his face. 

Reluctantly, San places his hand in Yunho’s, stifling a gasp when the tall actor pulls him out of the car and closes the door behind him. Hongjoong rolls down his window to tell them that they’ll be back in a couple of hours to pick them up. 

Smile still plastered on his face, Yunho waves his manager off before he pulls San closer to lead him into the restaurant. Understandably confused, San stumbles after him, eyes glancing around curiously as he wonders what the hell brought that on. Yunho remains oddly cordial up until they’re shown to their table where he finally drops his hold on San’s hand as he takes a seat with a little sigh. 

Suspicious, San slowly lowers himself into his own chair and stares at the actor sitting across from him as Yunho peruses the menu. “I know you’re not an actor but try to be natural about this,” Yunho advises him quietly as he settles on his desired dish. He looks up at San and offers him a smile. It looks warm and genuine, like the one he’d given Wooyoung earlier or the kind San is used to seeing. The one San thought made him perfectly charming. 

Now he’s just suspicious of them. 

“Nothing about this is natural,” he finally mutters, picking up his own menu only to blankly stare at the string of text that makes no sense to him. He doesn’t understand what any of these dishes are supposed to be. Half of these words seem made up to him. French was never a language he’d been exposed to before. 

“Of course not, but I’m paying you to make it seem like it is,” Yunho reminds him as he glances over to the restaurant windows. “You’re on camera, so you better start pretending like this is real.” 

San lowers his menu in a panic before stiffening up when Yunho reaches out to cup his face with one of his hands. His palm is warm and incredibly large against San’s face. He stares at the actor with wide eyes who looks back at him pointedly. “Breath,” he advises before dropping his hand down to one of San’s and tugging it away from the menu. Yunho holds his hand like that, visible for anyone who even spared just a passing glance in their direction. “Do you know what you want?” 

“How do you know we’re on camera?” San asks instead. 

“We spotted some paparazzi outside before we came in,” Yunho says casually. “I told you, this is pointless if people won’t be talking about it tomorrow. Now, do you know what you want to eat?” 

San looks down at the menu in his hand, setting it flat on the table with a defeated sigh. “I don’t know what any of these are,” he admits reluctantly. 

Yunho laughs as he strokes his thumb over San’s knuckles. The smaller man shivers at the touch. He likes that maybe a little too much. “Yeah? What do you like to eat?” Yunho asks him. 

“Meat,” San answers without thought. 

Yunho laughs and remarks, “That’s easy enough.” Then he looks down at his menu again, humming as he tries to decide on a dish for San. 

Inexplicably nervous, San tightens his grip around Yunho’s hand, and the actor lifts his head up to look at him. “You…” San begins nervously, “you’re not going to, like, get me something gross, are you?” 

Yunho stares at him for a moment. “Why would I do that?” 

San licks his lips nervously and tries to balance a way to voice his fears in a polite manner. “You seem like the type to pull a prank,” he says. San had always had this image of Yunho as perfect boyfriend material which, in retrospect, is a little naive of him. Seonghwa has also cultivated his image since a young age, and San’s long ago learned that he’s absolutely terrible to deal with in real life. Even if San does really like his boss, Seonghwa just isn’t that perfect person. 

Neither is Yunho, San is quickly learning. Seonghwa is right. He puts up a front, a rather convincing front, but a front nevertheless. The real Yunho clearly just doesn’t really like San for whatever reason. That much is obvious. So yeah, San is a little worried Yunho might do something mean. 

He must do a pretty good job at voicing his concerns in a way that doesn’t make his suspicions obvious because Yunho smiles at him and chokes back on a little laugh. “How did you come to that conclusion?” he asks, cupping his chin with his other hand. 

San stares at their intertwined hands pointedly. “Well this for one,” he says in a low voice, careful not to be overheard by anyone. “You hired me to fool the public. Seems like it’s part of your brand if you ask me.” 

Yunho presses his thumb between San’s thumb and forefinger, stroking him there gently. “I do what I need to,” he says carefully. 

Feeling bold, San leans over the table smiling sweetly at the actor but the words that come out of his mouth are acidic. “Am I doing a good job for you?” he asks.

“Hm.” Yunho cocks his head to the side and regards San for a moment. “It could be better, but you seem to be catching on quick enough.” He reaches out to tickle San underneath his chin, and the younger man’s heart picks up speed at the action, and he sits back down in his seat feeling placated. 

When a waiter comes over to talk to them, Yunho orders for both of them. San just licks his lips and nods his head with a smile when the waiter looks at him like he wants to make sure that San is okay with Yunho’s decision. “What did you get me?” he asks as soon as the waiter is gone. 

Yunho takes a sip of his water before he answers. “I got you a steak.” 

San perks up, and Yunho can’t help but laugh at the bright expression on his face. The rest of the evening unfolds much more enjoyably than San would have expected. He almost forgets the fact that Yunho holds his hand the whole time. 

  
  
  
  


Only reality crashes back down onto San when Hongjoong comes to pick them up. As soon as they’re back in the car, Yunho drops his hold on San’s hand and any pretense of warmth he had for him. San hangs his head as he buckles himself in. When he glances over to Yunho, the actor is dicking around on his phone again as usual. 

Hongjoong twists around in his seat to peer at the two of them curiously, eyes gleaming with interest as he looks between the two of them. “So, how did it go?” 

“Good,” Yunho answers monotonously. San nods his head when Hongjoong turns his gaze to him. 

“So it went well?” 

“I think we gave plenty to the tabloids. There should be something up by tomorrow.” Yunho doesn’t look up from his scrolling, and San is content to let him do all the talking. 

Hongjoong visibly relaxes. “Good,” he sighs. “What did you say your plans were tonight?” 

Yunho motions to San without a glance. “Let’s get him home first. I’m just going to have some drinks with some friends.” 

“Just some drinks with friends?” Hongjoong asks him with a pointed look. 

“I promise.” 

“You better,” his manager mumbles as he twists around in his seat. “Last time you said that you got caught by the paparazzi and now look where we are.” 

San bites back a laugh and turns his head away to stare out the window so no one will see. Yunho hisses at his manager to keep his mouth shut before glancing at San nervously. The driver finally pulls out from his spot, heading in the familiar direction of San’s home. 

“So are there going to be any other ‘scheduled’ dates in the near future?” San asks when he has his expression under control. “I’d like to be able to plan around it if I have to,” he explains after Yunho shoots him a questioning look. What he really means is he needs to go shopping for something more decent because he’ll be damned if Yunho pulls up on him and calls him a kid again. 

“No. We’re not trying to shove you into the public’s face. That would probably backfire on us anyways.” Hongjoong waves his hand above his head so San can see. “Oh, but actually on the subject, the film crew is having a celebratory dinner for the end of the shooting soon. Were you going to be there?” 

San knows exactly what Hongjoong is referring to, and he leans in closer so that Hongjoong can hear him more easily. “It’s on Seonghwa’s schedule, so yeah I’m supposed to be there.” Yunho makes a little noise of disapproval in the back of his throat when San mentions Seonghwa’s name, and the assistant only spares him a quick look before Hongjoong draws his attention back in. 

“Would you mind if we stole you that day instead?” Hongjoong asks. “We’d like for the story to be that you guys met on set and that’s how this whole thing started.” He tilts his head back to look at San, lips pulled into that tight-lipped smile that the younger man had quickly learned not to trust. “It would look better for us. The whole thing would be believable.” 

San runs his hands down the back of Hongjoong’s seat and shrugs his shoulders. He doesn’t really want to do that, but he does have a contract to fill. And something tells him that if he refused, Hongjoong might make sure he carefully reconsidered that decision. “You might need to run it by Seonghwa first,” San murmurs instead. “He’s kind of like a little baby. Totally helpless if I’m not there.” 

“He’ll agree,” Yunho says confidently as bites down on his thumb and scrolls through his phone. “He’s supposed to make sure that selling our image as a couple is his number one priority after all.” He grins when San looks over to him, and he shivers at the promised threat behind that expression. 

  
  
  
  


San is absolutely exhausted when he shows up to work the next day. None of this is helped by the fact that Seonghwa immediately shoves a couple of his bags into his arms and barks at him to hurry up or he’ll be late to the commercial filming he has scheduled. With a tired groan, San carries Seonghwa’s things out to the van and dumps them onto the floor. 

Seonghwa stares down at his bags, appalled by the fact that they’re just strewn all over the floor. “What are you doing?” he demands. 

“Sorry.” San rubs at his tired eyes as he picks one up and carelessly tosses it into the back seat. Seonghwa continues to stare at him as if San had just picked up his newborn child and tossed it into the backseat like it was nothing. “I’m really tired today.” 

He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. He’d been haunted by the absolute duality Yunho had subjected him to that day as well as worry about the celebratory event. San usually looked forward to those things. It was free food he was allowed to enjoy, and Seonghwa was typically allowed enough alcohol to get tipsy. And, if San is being completely honest, Seonghwa is so much easier to control and deal with when he’s tipsy. So he hadn’t slept really well, and of course Seonghwa would have a busy schedule today. 

“Being tired doesn’t mean you can just throw my bags around like they’re trash,” Seonghwa complains. 

“What’s in most of them anyways?” San asks. Seonghwa always carries them around pretty much everywhere he goes, sometimes procuring random items from it, makeup, toothpaste, a sleeping mask. It seemed like a kind of go-bag for the actor. 

“Mostly garbage, but that still doesn’t make it okay to treat them like that!” He reaches back to rearrange them neatly the way he likes it and the way San typically does for him. “And today is going to be a long day. I’m not sure when I’ll have time to eat, so I need you to go to the nearest convenience store and pick up some snacks for me as soon as we’re there.” 

“Okay,” San mumbles as he combs his fingers through his hair. 

Seonghwa stares at his assistant quietly until San finally settles back into his seat. “Are you okay?” he asks. 

“I’m fine.” San tilts his head back and closes his eyes, determined to take a small nap on the way to the interview. “I’m just tired. Didn’t really sleep well last night.” 

Seonghwa crosses his arms over his chest as he thinks about it for a moment. Then it hits him. “Ah. Because of your date?” 

San hums, still desperately trying to chase a few minutes of sleep. “I’m surprised you even remembered,” he mumbles. 

“Of course I did.” Seonghwa sniffs indignantly as he rests his arm over the back of his seat. He regards his assistant carefully before he finally says, “I needed a coffee but you weren’t around.” San laughs at his words, and Seonghwa bites back a smile although he’s internally pleased that his assistant seemed to think it was funny. “So how was it? A date with Prince Yunho?” Seonghwa prods.

San stretches his arms above his head before covering his eyes with his hands. “You were right,” he admits. “That kind gentleman attitude is just an act.” 

“Hah!” Seonghwa bounces in his seat. “I told you. I told you, didn’t I? It’s all just a front to protect his image. It’s not even a good image. Who wants someone like that anyways?” San opens his mouth to say that a lot of people do. Yunho is popular for a _reason,_ and his perfect boyfriend image has a lot to do with that. Seonghwa keeps going before San has a chance to respond though. “I told you he was an asshole.” 

“I don’t know if I’d call him an asshole,” San says as he presses the heels of his palm into his eyes. “But...he’s definitely not as nice as I thought.” 

Seonghwa snorts, sinking down into his seat. “You weren’t really expecting for him to just fall for you or some shit, were you?” 

“Of course not,” San says quickly, finally lowering his eyes to blink blearily up at the roof of the car. When he looks over to Seonghwa, the actor stares at him with a blank expression. “I wasn’t!” he insists. “I just thought it would be more fun than this or something. I mean, he’s a cute actor. Sue me for thinking it would be fun to go on dates with him.” 

“Fake dates,” Seonghwa reminds him.

“Same thing honestly.” 

“So, what? Did he make you walk home or something? Make you pay for your half of everything?”

No, Yunho hadn’t done any of those things, and he supposes that, in retrospect, maybe that means he hadn’t been so bad to go on a date with. In fact, the dinner had actually been rather pleasant and nice. The food was amazing, and Yunho had finally seemed pleasant enough to be around. Only at the promise of cameras though. San’s lips curl up into a pout when he remembers their first real meeting. 

“What?” Seonghwa asks eagerly. 

“He just—” San hesitates and lowers his head, embarrassed to even admit it out loud, but Seonghwa presses him. He’s clearly eager for some gossip on his rival, so San blurts out, “He said I looked like a kid.” 

“Ugh, is that it?” Seonghwa is clearly disappointed with his response. 

“What do you mean!” San lifts his head up to glare at the actor. “What do you mean ‘that’s it?’ Didn’t you hear what I said?” 

“What? The truth?” 

“You told me that I should just look cute!” San accuses him. 

“I did say that,” Seonghwa acknowledges him. “Did you dress cute though?” 

“I did.” 

Seonghwa clicks his tongue and releases a hiss of disappointment. Then he leans in closer to stare at San, eyes briefly trailing down to get an eyeful of his outfit before he meets his assistant’s gaze again. “Did you just dress like you usually do?” he finally asks. 

“No,” San denies immediately. Seonghwa raises an eyebrow because it’s obvious that he’s lying. “I mean, I wore a nicer version of what I usually do.” 

“Nicer in what way?” 

San fiddles with the sleeves of his coat, suddenly reluctant to answer. “You know,” he trails off with the hope that Seonghwa will just figure it out on his own or come to his own conclusions. Seonghwa just stares at him curiously. “Like, I just wore a more expensive sweater.”

“So, not cute then?” Seonghwa clairfies. 

“How is that not cute!” San asks, affronted. “I always dress cute.” 

“San,” Seonghwa sighs as he eyes his assistant critically. “You don’t dress cute. You look like an eight year old trying to dress like his father.” 

San blinks at him, completely caught off guard by Seonghwa’s answers. “I dress like a kid?” he echoes. Seonghwa hums in agreement. “So Yunho was right about my fashion sense?”

Another hum before Seonghwa huffs and crumples down in his seat. “I wanted to get some juicy info on that prick and instead now he just knows my staff members are basically children.” San makes a face and grumbles something under his breath because Seonghwa is really one to complain about his staff being childish when Seonghwa regularly acts like a petulant child himself. “Tell me that’s not the only thing he did,” Seonghwa begs. 

San shrugs his shoulders, suddenly unsure of what Seonghwa wants from him. “He took me to his stylist or something for a different change of clothes,” he tries. 

“San,” Seonghwa sits up a little straighter in his seat, “you were literally just telling me that Jung Yunho isn’t as nice as he seems, but that’s all you can tell me?” 

San is left speechless by Seonghwa’s complaints. “That was rude!” 

“Are you kidding me? He took you to get yourself fixed up.” 

“For his benefit!” 

“Yeah, but it also benefited you,” Seonghwa points out. 

San stutters but finds that he doesn’t exactly have a good response to that. He supposes that Seonghwa has a point, but it didn’t exactly make Yunho’s words any less hurtful. 

“Did he say or do anything else?” 

“Not really,” San mutters bitterly. And that had really been the main problem. In private, Yunho didn’t seem the least bit interested in engaging with San in any way. He barely spoke, hardly made eye contact, and tended to speak to San through his manager. There was no other way for San to describe his demeanor in Yunho’s presence as anything other than uncomfortable. The car ride to and from the restaurant had been nigh unbearable, although San admits he had put up quite an act in public. It had been about the only time San felt comfortable with him.

“Tch.” Seonghwa bites on his thumb as he considers San’s explanation. Finally he says, “That must be why Director Park was so set on him being the lead. I guess the rookie can act.” He looks over at San who scowls at him in response and he asks, “What?” 

“Are you just going to ignore everything I just said?” 

“I’m not ignoring it,” Seonghwa denies. “I just don’t see the problem? This is for show, isn’t it? And he’s putting on a show alright.” The actor pouts, clearly disappointed by the notion before his eyebrows furrow together in confusion. “Why are you so disappointed by this anyways? You don’t honestly think he’s trying to date you, right?” 

“Of course I don’t!” San denies. “I know this is fake and it’s all for show or whatever, but he could be nice to me outside of the public eye too!” 

“Ey!” Seonghwa plucks a single tissue from the box they keep in the car just to crumple it up and throw at San. “I wanted some inside scoop on the prick that he is but all you can give me is that he just doesn’t think you’re hot.” San lips curl up into a pout, and he stops trying to argue because there’s no winning against Seonghwa like this. 

The actor stares at him, eyeing his assistant suspiciously, but San turns his nose up at him and looks out of his window. This conversation is over as far as the younger man is concerned. At least until Seonghwa says, “You like him, don’t you?”

San chokes on his own spit, whipping around to stare at Seonghwa. “ _What?_ ” 

“You like him!” Seonghwa accuses, pointing a finger at him.

“I do not! Were you not listening to anything I just said?” San swats at Seonghwa’s hand. 

“If you didn’t like him, this wouldn’t bother you,” the older man reasons. “This is a publicity stunt. He’s paying you to make people believe _you’re_ the one he fucked in a hotel and that you guys are just a couple who needed a little alone time or some shit. It’s not real, San. Why does he need to be nice to you outside of work?” 

San blinks, lips twisting up into a sour expression. “ _You_ don’t like the fact that he’s not nice to you outside of work either!” he accuses. 

“No,” Seonghwa denies sharply because San kind of has a point and they both know it. “I am upset that he doesn’t treat me with respect at work because _I_ am his senior and have been in this industry for way longer than he has. I’m a child prodigy!” 

“Didn’t your mom literally just show up with you at a commercial shoot once?” 

“Yes, and clearly they recognized my talent early.” Seonghwa bops him on the head in reprimand. “Anyways my point still stands either way. Don’t take this thing too much to heart. It’s all pretend, and you wouldn’t want to date Jung Yunho anyways. As your boss I won’t allow it.” 

“Yongsun is my boss,” San points out. 

“I’m your supervisor,” Seonghwa says without missing a beat. “And as your supervisor, I prohibit you from dating my nemesis. Just put on a smile when you’re with him in public and take his money.” Seonghwa grins at his assistant devilishly and says, “That’s all you have to do.” 

San folds his arms over his chest and slumps down in his seat. “I don’t like Yunho anyways,” he denies. He doesn’t.

  
  
  
  


The next time they see each other is at the celebratory dinner. Fortunately, it’s a casual event that doesn’t require San to dress any type of way although Yunho still eyes him with disapproval when he sees San show up in his typical clothing. San resists the urge to stick his tongue out at him, content to just stick to Seonghwa’s side and ignore his existence like Seonghwa suggested, except he can’t because Hongjoong immediately seizes him by the arm and leads him over to Yunho with a smile. 

“You didn’t forget did you?” Hongjoong asks him quietly so no one else can hear as he motions to the seat next to Yunho. San shakes his head even though the truth is that he did forget. Yes, he totally forgot. Then more loudly Hongjoong says, “We saved a spot for you next to Yunho.” 

San forces a smile as he graciously takes the seat beside Yunho. When he glances down the table to Seonghwa, the elder shoots him odd looks, clearly confused by the fact that his personal assistant had suddenly been swept away. San shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. 

Then he looks over to Yunho with the tiniest little smile in place as a feeling of dread settles into his stomach. Unlike San, Yunho seems geared up and ready to go for the act as he drapes an arm over San’s shoulders and pulls him in close to bump his nose against the shorter man’s temple. “Are you hungry?” he asks. 

San swears he can hear Seonghwa’s fake gagging noises in the background. “Starving,” he answers truthfully. Contrary to his words, he places a trembling hand on Yunho’s thigh, just before his knee. Yunho tenses before quickly relaxing, but when San risks a glance in his direction, the actor’s expression is tighter like he can’t decide if he wants to remove San’s hand or not. It’s not risque by any stretch of the means, but San isn’t sure how else he’s supposed to sell this whole image to people. Especially here where they’re not expected to perform in front of nosy tabloids and online gossip columns. No, here they’re actually in front of real people they’d been working with for months now. 

And it’s obvious because one of the staff members immediately zeroes in on their behavior. “I didn’t realize you two were so close,” she remarks. San removes his hand from Yunho’s thigh, figuring he’s done enough when she glances down in its direction. “I mean, I didn’t realize. I guess it makes sense if you believe those news articles about you lately…” she trails off as she stares at Yunho. 

More relaxed now that San has removed his hand, Yunho smiles at her and says, “Yeah. Actually, we wanted to keep it under wraps for privacy reasons, but I was careless and we got caught, so I guess there’s no use to hiding anymore, right baby?” 

San practically melts at the nickname. He never pegged himself as the kind who would enjoy them. He hated it when it inevitably happened in one of those horrible soap operas he loved to watch with his mom. It always felt so cringy, but San kind of loves it coming from Yunho. 

“Yeah,” San agrees, hating the way his heart thumps in his chest at the pet name.

It goes surprisingly well. Almost unnervingly so. Yunho had done the same thing at the restaurant on their first “date” when he managed to ease the discomfort and doubts festering in San’s mind about the whole thing until it felt natural like they really were a couple on an outing. San laughs at a joke one of the camera crew makes as Yunho places a piece of beef on his plate. He’s been doing that the whole time, making sure that San has food on his plate and his water cup is full. He even pours San a new beer after Hongjoong offers him more. 

It feels real. Or maybe San is just a little tipsy from the alcohol, so he doesn’t think much of it when he rests his head against Yunho’s shoulder and smiles at a story the director is telling. And then he catches Seonghwa’s gaze at the other end of the table, and a feeling of cold sobriety suddenly washes over him. 

He sits up with a startle, glancing at Yunho who meets his gaze curiously. “You good?” the actor asks. 

“Fine,” San squeaks out as he pats his hair down and glances at Seonghwa again. The older man is looking at him with a knowing look .

 _You like him_ , Seonghwa’s accusation rings out through San’s ears. 

But he doesn’t. He really doesn’t. It’s just an act that San maybe gets a little too comfortable in once in a while. 

They continue through the motions of a couple for the rest of the dinner. Yunho continues to be mindful of feeding San, occasionally reaching out to touch him on the back of the neck or shoulder, fingers combing through his hair, but it doesn’t feel like a fantasy anymore. Each touch feels calculated, and however affectionate it might look to other people, to San it doesn’t feel like anything other than empty and hollow. 

When the dinner is over, San immediately tries to beeline for Seonghwa. No matter how mean his boss can be to him sometime, at least San is comfortable with his harsh words and childish tantrums. Yunho’s way of dealing with him in a distant and calculated manner feels infinitely worse, but Hongjoong catches him before he can leave. 

“We’ll take you home,” Yunho offers as he slips his coat on. 

“Uh.” 

“You don’t have any schedules still, do you?” he asks Seonghwa who bristles at the casual way Yunho speaks to him. He doesn’t, so he can’t say anything as Yunho places a hand on San’s waist and leads him out of the restaurant. San stares at Seonghwa with a pleading gaze, feeling like a lamb being led to slaughter, but the actor is too busy making faces at the back of Yunho’s head to pay him any mind. 

“Thank you,” Hongjoong tells him as soon as they reach a familiar SUV. “I know it wasn’t for the tabloids or anything, but this was a good establishment of your backstory.” 

His backstory? San wants to snort because his life isn’t a drama. Or at least it wasn’t meant to be. 

“You’re...welcome,” San says for lack of anything better to say. 

“Do you have a suit, by the way?” Hongjoong asks as he climbs into the passenger side of the car. Yunho climbs into the back without a word before San climbs in after him. “The next public event you’ll need to be at is the premiere, and you’ll want to look nice even if you weren’t part of the cast. And then there will be the awards show at the end of this year. We’d like you to attend that too.”

No. San has never actually been allowed to attend any of Seonghwa’s premieres before. He might have been an assistant, but that didn’t usually translate to access to some of the nicer events that Seonghwa attended. He was usually just there for drop off and pick up. 

“You really think a guy who dresses like _that_ owns a suit?” Yunho laughs, pointing at San. San scowls but is honestly too scared to try and fight back. 

Hongjoong just smiles at him and says, “We’ll get something fitted for you.” 

  
  
  
  


The directions had been simple. Let Yunho out first, walk up to him, flash a smile to the cameras and crowd, and walk into the theater together. Really, there’s no reason any of this should have been difficult. Wooyoung had helped him put together another formal look—not quite a full suit and tie but something nicer than his first date—and his make-up artist had given him a little touch up. 

Even Yunho had seemed finally impressed with San. He’d practically preened when Yunho had given him a slow once over before nodding his head in approval. 

In the car on the way over to the venue, Hongjoong had gone over those four simple steps over and over again, making sure San knew exactly what he needed to do. “I got it,” San assured him after the fifth time. How hard could it even be? 

Yunho leaves the car first, lifting a hand up to wave as a sea of camera flashes go off. San suddenly feels dizzy and nauseous at the prospect that he needs to go out there too, but then Hongjoong is making a shooing motion at him and San stumbles out of the car next. 

Yunho’s expression briefly falters when San trips on his way out, and he can see the way the actor seems annoyed by his antics. He quickly scurries over to Yunho’s side, probably looking less like a doting boyfriend and more like a drowned rat. 

Yunho wraps an arm around his waist once he’s close enough, holding him tightly as more of a personal assurance that San won’t just fall in front of the cameras any more rather than because they’re passionately in love. The press seems to eat it up though, and San has to squint his eyes at the never ending camera flashes that assault him. 

“Are you capable of not making a fool of yourself?” Yunho hisses into his ear even as he plasters a smile on his face. 

San scrunches his nose up at the belligerent question but doesn’t let his smile drop. “Why do you care if I’m making a fool of _myself?_ ” he hisses back, smile still in place as he tilts his head to rest it on Yunho’s shoulders. 

“You looking like an idiot makes me look like one.” 

San lifts a hand up to wave as he says, “I’m not the one who got caught leaving a hotel at an ungodly hour in the morning because I needed a booty call. Don’t tell me that _I_ make you look like an idiot.” He feels Yunho’s heated gaze on him as soon as he says that, but he can’t be bothered to care. He already said it. There’s no use in taking it back now. 

Other than that initial disaster, the rest of the evening goes well. They sit next to each other to watch the movie which San is actually totally into. Yunho looks like he’d rather be anywhere else but knows he has to be here. When it’s all over, Hongjoong comes to pick them up as he always does, looking pleased when he sees the two of them. 

“The media is totally eating you two up,” he remarks as he hands his phone over to Yunho. The actor peers down at the article Hongjoong shows him, humming with satisfaction before he hands it back. “This is working out so well.” 

“They mentioned how you nearly fell flat on your face,” Yunho snorts, grinning at San who only sniffs in response. 

“Oh, yeah? Did they also mention how you stupidly got caught in this relationship in the first place?” he snaps back. 

The air in the car quickly grows cold as the tension suddenly builds. Hongjoong eyes them both warily, lips parting to try and intervene, but Yunho beats him to it. “You got a problem with the idea that I need to have sex every once in a while or something?” 

“I don’t care what you need to do,” San tells him. “This whole mess is only happening because you got caught and, if anything, you’re _lucky_ I happen to look like that guy.” 

“Well, he was a better fuck than you’ll ever be,” Yunho remarks snidely. 

“Guys,” Hongjoong tries to intervene. 

“And how would you know!” San demands, irrationally insulted by Yunho’s words. “Last I checked it wasn’t actually me who you fucked. I’m just here for damage control.” 

Yunho laughs at his defense and tells him, “That’s exactly how I know. You’re probably a stiff little virgin.” 

“I’ll have you know I’m incredibly experienced!” San lies in the heat of the moment. It’s not true. It’s not even remotely true unless fucking his favorite dildo every once in a while counts. “I just prefer sleeping with people who aren’t stuck up actors.” 

Hongjoong clears his throat loud enough that he finally draws their attention to him. “Are we done being children?” he asks. 

“I don’t know, are we?” Yunho looks at San pointedly. 

“I am _not_ a child,” San denies. 

“Yeah? You gonna prove it?” 

The assistant glares at Yunho long enough that the actor takes that as a yes. So he turns to his manager and says, “Drop us off at my place.” 

Hongjoong’s smile drops at that request. “Are you serious?” he asks. 

“Dead serious,” Yunho answers without breaking eye contact with San. “Unless you’re too scared. You can go home and hide under your bed if you want.” 

“Hmph. Why would I hide under my bed when I could be in yours?” Despite the confidence with which he speaks, San trembles with nerves and his heart rate picks up. He’s kind of banking on the fact that Yunho clearly wants nothing to do with him, but Yunho doesn’t back down at all. 

“Cool. Guess that saves us an extra trip then.” 

  
  
  
  


Yunho’s penthouse is disgustingly nice and spacious for a rookie actor still working on establishing himself in the industry. Seonghwa also has an insanely nice house, but it had taken him quite a few years before he’d been able to afford such a place, but this looks so obviously well lived in too. 

San suddenly feels small as he peers up at the sleek, modern lights when Yunho turns them on before the actor slips out of his coat and drapes it over the back of his couch. Hongjoong had dropped them off but absolutely stressed that no matter what this better not interfere with the contract. 

Yunho had smiled and claimed it wouldn’t affect him at all, and San, being stupidly competitive as he is, refused to back down either. It’s funny, he thinks as he scratches behind his ears and carefully places his jacket over Yunho’s when the actor beckons him further inside. Yunho had given him a generous amount of outs and excuses he could have pounced on, but he hadn’t. 

He probably should have. San so clearly doesn’t belong here, but he’d been so swept up in the heat of the moment, sick of Yunho’s constant criticisms when they were alone. Fake or not, San is his boyfriend. At least for now. And San would like it if he at least played his part a little more nicely. 

Yunho waves him over in the direction of his bedroom. “Make yourself comfortable,” he tells San. “I need to get some things.” 

Frozen in front of the bedroom door, San wonders what the hell he needs to get. He doesn’t move for a moment, eyes trailing over to Yunho’s king size bed, and he swallows thickly. What the hell has he gotten himself into this time? 

San briefly contemplates the idea of just giving in now. He’ll just tell Yunho that he won this time around. He was right about San and maybe would he be so kind as to drop him off at home that would be great. He takes a step back only to bump into a body before long, well toned arms come to wrap around his waist. San freezes as he looks down at the arms around his body, eyes narrowing in on the bottle of lube and condom packet Yunho is holding. 

Oh shit. 

“Um.” San twists around in Yunho’s hold, only to startle when he realizes that Yunho has apparently taken the liberty to get almost entirely undressed. All he has on still is a pair of underwear. 

“What is it?” Yunho asks, peering down at the smaller man. 

“I—” San’s mouth goes dry as he stares at Yunho’s bare chest. “I lied,” he squeaks out. “I’ve never had sex before.” 

“I know that,” Yunho tuts, unwrapping his arms around San so he can stride into his bedroom. He tosses the lube and condom carelessly onto the bed before he stretches his arms up, and San feels a rush of arousal travel down his spine as he stares at the way Yunho’s muscles flex at the action. “You’re a terrible liar, and, like I said, it’s not hard to guess that you’re inexperienced.” 

“I’ve used toys!” San protests before shoving his fist in his mouth because _what the fuck?_ How is that helpful right now? 

Yunho grins as he turns to face him again. “Oh, yeah?” he asks as he strides back to San who backs up until he’s cornered between the actor and the wall. “So, if I give you one of mine will you fuck yourself on it all pretty for me?” 

San shudders at the question, holding his arms in front of his chest like it’s a barrier between them. “I—” He’s honestly at a loss of words, unable to tell if Yunho is serious or not while an unbearable heat settles in the pit of his stomach. 

“If you can’t do anything else, would you at least fuck yourself on one of my toys?” Yunho teases him. 

“I didn’t come here for that.” San clears his throat and forces himself to meet Yunho’s gaze. 

“I suppose that’s true,” Yunho acknowledges in a low, guttural voice. “You came to lose your virginity to a stuck up actor like me, huh?” San shudders at his question. He knew those words were going to come back and bite him in the ass as soon as he’d said them but that still hadn’t stopped him. “Unless you want to back out.” 

It’s one last out. At this point San almost wonders if Yunho wants him to take it so that he doesn’t have to fuck him. He’s quiet for a moment, debating with himself. His instinct is to graciously take Yunho’s way out and leave while he still has his pride, dignity, and virginity intact. Instead, he barks out, “Are you going to fuck me or what?” 

Yunho laughs at him, a delighted smile on his face, but he doesn’t grab San and throw him on the bed to ravage him like San expects. Instead he turns San around by his shoulders and nudges him in the direction of his en suite bathroom. “Clean yourself up first,” he says into San’s ear. “Then I’ll play with you.” 

San shivers at the promise and scurries into the bathroom to escape Yunho’s eyes. The bathroom is equally as nice and modern as the rest of the penthouse, and San hates to admit that he spends a good minute or so staring at the shower faucet after he undresses himself like he doesn’t know how to use it. He doesn’t, to be fair. It’s not the typical knob he’s used to, but it’s easy enough to figure out. 

San is quick and efficient about it. Or at least as quick and efficient as he can be underneath the onslaught of warm water at the perfect pressure. It also probably takes a bit longer than usual because San takes a moment to smell Yunho’s shampoo out of curiosity, loving the poignant scent of sandalwood that invades his sense of smell. It matches the scent he catches from Yunho whenever the actor actually lets him in close enough, and San has an irrational desire to use it himself. 

Thankfully he has the sense to hold himself back, placing the shampoo back on the little shelf as he finishes cleaning himself up. 

After he steps out of the shower and dries himself off with the fluffiest towel he’s ever felt, he pauses. Lifting his underwear up from where he folded it neatly on top of the counter, he contemplates if he should even put them on. It would kind of be a waste of time, right? Yunho will probably laugh at him again if he comes out with his clothes on, but San isn’t so sure he has the confidence to strut out there in all his naked glory. He wraps the towel around his waist, figuring it’s a good enough compromise, and steels his nerves before he finally steps out of the bathroom. 

Yunho looks up when he steps out, tossing his phone onto the nightstand before he leans back onto his hands. “All done?” he asks. 

San’s fingers tighten around his towel as he stands awkwardly in the doorway of the bathroom. He eyes the actor, gaze trailing down his body to the obvious bulge in his underwear. He’s not hard by any means, but the shape of his cock is obvious in his underwear. 

Yunho reaches a hand out to beckon San closer, and the younger follows his silent demand without hesitation. He stops in front of the actor, fitting himself between Yunho’s spread legs and waiting for his next move. The actor trails his eyes down San’s naked chest that San practically feels a trail of slow burning embers in its wake. He stops at the towel, briefly meeting San’s gaze before he reaches out to grab it. 

San only tightens his grip in response, holding it up when Yunho tries to tug it away. The actor appears amused by his resistance. “Are you shy, baby?” he asks, fully aware of the way San gets weak at the knees whenever he pulls out that pet name. 

San hesitates before shaking his head and releasing his hold on the towel. Yunho tugs it away, tossing it to the floor so he can get an eyeful of the man in front of him. His lips curl up into a smug little smile when he notices that San is already half hard. 

The smaller man squirms under his gaze and shivers when Yunho holds him by the waist. “Come here,” he encourages, pulling San closer. He climbs up on Yunho’s lap, knees on the bed, and holds his breath as he feels Yunho’s body against his. Yunho runs his hand along San’s waist until he inevitably gasps, sucking in a much needed breath. “You have a really small waist,” Yunho comments as he scoots them both back on the bed. 

“Thanks.” San doesn’t really know what else to say to that. Yunho just chuckles at him before turning San over to press him into the bed. San goes down with a little yelp, steadying himself with a hand on Yunho’s shoulders, and his face is bright red when Yunho pushes his knees apart to spread his legs. 

“I’d ask if you’re sure about this, but this,” Yunho slides his hands down the inside of San’s thighs to touch his half hard cock. San stops breathing and holds himself perfectly still until tightens his fingers around the length of his dick and gives it a firm stroke. He bucks his hips up as moans. 

“This tells me that you’re definitely up for it,” Yunho finishes. He removes his hand from San’s cock to place it on his hip again. Then he leans in close enough that their lips nearly touch and asks, “So what do you say? Are you up for letting someone like me fuck you?” 

San’s tongue feels dry and heavy in his mouth, so it’s hard to form words. It’s more of a boon rather than a bane for him though because the only thought going through San’s mind is that he’s not up for getting fucked by someone like Yunho. He’s up for getting fucked _by_ _him_. All he can manage is a little nod of his head and breathy, “Yeah.” 

  
  
  
  


San knows that there’s clearly a vast difference in their experience when it comes to intimate encounters. It’s obvious, if not by San’s own admission, then it is by the way Yunho handles him like he knows exactly what he’s doing. 

Like right now. Yunho has San pulled across his lap, stomach down. San squirms in his lap, moaning when his cock rubs against Yunho’s thigh. Yunho holds him down with one hand on the back of his neck as he slips slick fingers out of San’s hole to dig his fingers into one of his ass cheeks. 

San whines when Yunho removes his fingers from him. The pathetic little whine quickly morphs into a yelp after Yunho brings that hand down onto his ass. The spank echoes through the bedroom, and San feels his face heat up. It didn’t really hurt, however it certainly caught him off guard. 

“Stay still,” Yunho murmurs in a low voice as he kneads his fingers into San’s ass cheek. He presses San’s head down into the sheets when he tries to lift his head up. The actor holds him down like that until San goes limp under his hold and whimpers. “Be good and stay still,” Yunho says. 

San shudders at the order but holds still just like Yunho tells him. Finally Yunho loosens his grip on San’s ass, sliding his fingers back to San’s hole. He strokes his finger over his hole, biting back a grin when San bucks his hips up. San sucks in a sharp breath and releases it as a moan when Yunho’s finger briefly presses in before pulling back. The sound is long and drawn out and then interrupted because Yunho pushes his head down back into the sheets, muffling his moan. 

“You’re so noisy,” Yunho comments, petting San on the head with one hand as his lubed finger dips past his ring of muscles and into his hole again. San mewls as if just to prove Yunho right. “Just like that,” the actor praises. He trails his hand from San’s hair, down the length of his back until he can press down on the small of his back, holding his hips still as he sinks his finger deep inside San. 

“I—” San chokes on his words, trembling in Yunho’s hold. 

“Are you this noisy with a toy in you too?” Yunho taunts him. 

“No—oh!” San’s defiant answer ends in a gasp when Yunho shoves a second finger inside him. 

“I bet you are.” Yunho presses his fingers deep inside, drawing another cute little noise from San’s throat. “Are you going to make more pretty noises like that for me? When I fuck you?” He fucks his fingers into San, relishing the way the smaller man writhes against him. 

“That depends,” San grits out. “Are you actually going to fuck me?” 

Yunho fucks his fingers into him roughly, pulling a cry from San’s lips, before he nearly pulls his fingers out to slide in a third. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll fuck you nice and hard in a minute, but you’re tight as hell.” He grunts while San whines out—high and desperate—as he thrusts his fingers back in. “Gotta get you all loose and ready for my cock.” He fucks into San a few more times, biting back a smirk at the little hiccuping breaths that he punches out of the other man’s lungs. 

Yunho moves his free hand down further, over the curve of San’s ass to splay his fingers across one cheek, and he’d be lying if he tried to deny the way his dick twitched at the sight. San looked so small underneath him, or maybe his hand was just massive. Either way, Yunho admits that the visual definitely affects him. 

“Loosen up,” he barks out when San suddenly tightens up on his fingers.

“I...can’t,” San gasps out as he clenches and unclenches around those damn, long fingers. Yunho has them pressed up against his prostate, abusing that sensitive spot until San is left squirming and panting beneath him. The actor relents on his pressure and watches the way San relaxes beneath him with a grin. San is so easy to play with. So sensitive. Yunho just knows he’s going to have fun with this boy. 

Yunho swipes his thumb over the rim of San’s hole, stretched wide over his fingers. San shivers and his breath picks up in anticipation. It’s the only warning he gets before Yunho thrusts his fingers in again, pressing his fingers down against his sweet spot, rubbing and stroking at it until San cries out and tries to pull away. 

“I’m gonna cum,” San gasps out. 

“Yeah?” Yunho moves the hand from San’s ass to wrap it around San’s neck. He lifts San’s head up that way, craning it towards the ceiling so that San has to arch his back. “Tell me when you’re going to cum,” Yunho tells him, squeezing his fingers around San’s throat. “Are you going to tell me?” he asks when San fails to answer him. 

“Yes!” San chokes out, digging his fingers into the sheets. 

“Good.” Yunho doesn’t remove his hand from San’s neck, but he does loosen up his grip just a little bit. He finger fucks the younger man, relishing in the little whimpers and cries he pulls from San’s throat with every thrust. It takes less than a minute before San tightens up on him again, but he doesn’t say anything. Yunho tightens his grip around San’s neck again and asks, “Are you cumming?” 

San chokes up on his words. “Yes!” He blurts out when Yunho shakes by the neck and demands to know if he’s about to cum. “Yes, yes! I’m gonna cum—please!” His voice cracks at the end. 

Yunho slips his fingers out just before San cums. San cries out in protest as his impending orgasm quickly recedes, and he goes limp over Yunho’s lap. “Fuck,” he whimpers out, legs twitching when Yunho strokes his fingers over his hole once more before bringing his hand down for a resounding spank. 

“Ngh.” San jerks at the action, cock throbbing. 

With a grin, Yunho rolls San off his lap and onto the bed. The younger man is pliant beneath him, allowing Yunho to roll him onto his back and maneuver his limbs around until he has him spread out on the bed. “You didn’t think I was done playing with you yet, did you?” 

San shivers at the question. “What else are you gonna do?” 

“Well,” Yunho trails his hands down San’s thighs to his hips. He bites back a smile at the way San’s body trembles underneath his touch, his eyes watery and wide as he waits for Yunho to finish his thought. “I’d love to see how pretty you’d look split open on one of my toys, but I suppose that can wait for another day.” 

San gasps at his words and, in the back of his mind, processes the fact that Yunho just implied that they might do this again. He wants to say something—anything—to snark back at Yunho, but the only sound he manages is a small whimper. 

Then Yunho’s hands push up, making their way over his chest. They stop to play with his nipples until San is a squirming, panting mess and his nipples are red from abuse. He arches his back when Yunho pinches them one more time before releasing them to grab the items he’d abandoned just above San’s head. San’s stomach flutters and his breaths become shallow as he eyes the condom packet and lube in Yunho’s hands. 

“Relax,” Yunho tells him, dropping the bottle of lube between the younger man’s legs so he can place a hand on top of one of San’s trembling thighs. It’s only then that he realizes how tense he’d gotten. Yunho hushes him until San finally relaxes beneath his touch. And then he goes right back to teasing him. “Scared now?” Yunho asks with the barest hint of a smile. He brings the condom up to his lips and tears it open with his teeth. 

Is he scared now? He has Yunho right in front of him, the actor leaning back to gently roll the condom down his cock, ready to fuck him after he’d finger fucked San silly earlier. San isn’t scared. He’s terrified. 

“Bored,” he spits out instead though. 

Yunho pauses in the middle of sliding the condom over his dick to stare at San with a slack-jawed expression. It’s not because he’s stunned by San’s answer but because he’s stunned by San’s adamant and continuous lies. With a sigh, he finishes rolling the condom down to the base of his dick. “When, exactly, are you going to actually be honest, hm?” 

“I’m not lying,” San insists as he stares up at the ceiling while carefully keeping his expression blank. “Less talking, more fucking.” 

“Okay.” Yunho grabs San by the hips and yanks him down the bed. San yelps at the rough treatment and holds his breath when Yunho quickly slicks himself up and pushes the head of his cock against San’s entrance. He only pushes the tip inside before San tenses up again. 

Yunho groans at the pressure squeezing around the head of his cock. “Fuck. You’re so tight,” he gasps out. 

“Wait, stop!” San reaches up to dig his fingers into Yunho’s shoulder when he pushes too hard too fast. “Hurts,” he whimpers out.

Yunho immediately pauses, looking down at San. The smaller man expects Yunho to start teasing him again, but the actor cups his cheek in one hand. “Relax,” he coaches San. “Let me know when you’re ready.” 

San nods and sucks in a deep breath. It takes a while. His instincts tell him to stay locked up like this, but Yunho presses a hand against his stomach, drawing gentle patterns against the soft skin there. His touch sends shivers down San’s spine, but it’s comforting enough that he finally relaxes under the touch. The pain dissipates although the pressure remains. 

“Okay,” San says, signaling the actor to continue. Yunho hums and moves his hands to the inside of San’s thighs. He doesn’t move, holding still as he runs his fingers up and down San’s sensitive thighs. “What are you doing?” he asks, legs trembling from Yunho’s touch. 

“Keeping you relaxed.” Yunho shifts his hips forward a little. San gasps, tensing up again only to immediately relax when he feels Yunho’s hands against his thighs. “Focus on my touch here. That’s it. Good boy.” 

San quivers at the praise and then feels the air practically punched out of his lungs when Yunho takes the opportunity to roll his hips forward, sliding his cock further into San. “Holy—” He presses his knees into Yunho’s sides as his hole flutters around the dick in him. 

Yunho hushes him, running his fingers over San’s stomach and eliciting a shiver from him. “Keep yourself relaxed,” he says as he shifts on his knees. The head of his cock brushes against San’s prostate, sending pleasure racing up his spine. “God, you’re so fucking tight.” Yunho tilts his head back, fighting the urge to buck his hips and fuck up into San. 

“Sorry.” San trembles as he trails his hands up his ribcage before settling them on either side of his head. “I—”

“What are you apologizing for?” Yunho cuts him off without realizing it. San had been speaking so quietly he hadn’t realized he was still talking. “You feel fucking amazing.” The tips of San’s ears turn red as he allows his knees to fall to the side. Yunho hums in approval, eyes half lidded as he admires the boy beneath him. “You ready?” 

“I—” San hesitates. He feels so full and so stretched out. His rim burns from the stretch but it’s not so much a sharp pain as it is just a dull ache now. “Give me a second,” he requests as he valiantly tries his best to relax. 

He wants this. 

He wants this so badly. It’s taken a moment for him to come to terms with the fact that the trembling in his arms and legs aren’t from fear but from _excitement_. However, that doesn’t exactly eliminate his reservations either. As much as he’s excited for this, he can’t help but be apprehensive about, well, the actual fucking part. He already feels like he’s at his limit and all Yunho has done is put his cock in him. He can’t imagine what it’ll be like when he actually starts fucking San, and that sparks just the tiniest bit of fear in him. 

Yunho doesn’t seem the least bit impatient with him though. He just hums in acknowledgement and keeps himself still as he waits for San. The actor reaches out to press his hands over San’s chest, running his thumbs over San’s pert nipples. 

San arches his back as a breathy moan escapes his lips. This quickly morphs into a gasp when the action just causes him to sink down further onto Yunho’s cock. The actor smirks down at him and rubs harder over San’s nipples. 

“Sto—op!” San hiccups, hips rolling up and down in a sorry attempt to stop Yunho. It doesn’t work. 

“Why?” Yunho asks, refusing to relent. He bites down on his lip to stop a moan threatening to fall from his lips. “You’re fucking yourself so nicely down on me like this. Plus, you like this, don’t you?” He pinches San’s nipples between his fingers and can’t stop the gasp that escapes him this time when San sinks down on his cock. 

“They’re sensitive,” San whines. 

“Oh. I can tell.” Yunho briefly relents, lulling San until a false sense of security. He relaxes back onto the bed, chest heaving and his nipples all pert and red from Yunho’s abuse. Then, without warning, he pinches down on them again and pulls. San arches up with a cry and pushes himself down on Yunho’s cock again. “There you go,” Yunho pants. “Fuck yourself on my cock just like that.” 

San’s head spins at his words. He can’t comprehend what Yunho is saying—doesn’t realize what he’s been doing this whole time. “I’m ready,” he sobs out when Yunho continues to abuse his nipples, hoping that it’ll be an incentive for Yunho to stop. “I’m ready—fuck—please. Please, stop. I’m ready!” 

Yunho laughs at him, but it ultimately pays off for San when the actor finally pulls his hands away from San’s nipples. They move down the length of his body before coming to rest at his hips. “I do so like it when you beg for my cock like that, baby,” he remarks. 

“Please,” San pleads without any further prompting. It’s kind of terrible, but he’s quickly learning that he turns into a pile of pliant puddy whenever Yunho calls him baby. “Please, fuck me.” 

“I got you, baby.” Yunho holds him still by the hips as thrusts his hips forward. 

“Ngh!” San digs his fingers into the sheets to ground himself. Yunho thrusts into him like that a few more times, and San shudders and trembles each time like every nerve ending in his body is on fire. He can barely even breath. Fucking a dildo is one thing, but Yunho’s cock is another thing entirely. 

“So responsive,” Yunho marvels after he pauses. His hands move further down, over to the back of San’s thighs. He pushes San’s legs up before shifting up onto his knees to better mount him. “I won’t lie. I didn’t think a shy, little virgin like yourself would be that fun, but you’re really proving me wrong.” 

“I…” San doesn’t know what he’s even trying to say, losing his train of thought entirely when Yunho actually begins to fuck him. 

He braces his hands on either side of San’s body. This gives him better leverage to fuck San harder, and he does his damn best to fuck the thoughts from San’s head. “What was that, kitten?” Yunho teases him. 

San swears his brain short circuits at that. Forget baby. San would do anything for Yunho to keep calling him kitten. His lips part as a pathetic whimper falls from them. “Please,” he begs again. “Please. I’ll be so good for you.” 

“Oh, I know you will be, kitten.” Yunho bends forward, nose brushing against San’s jawline as he works to keep his thrusts at a steady pace. “You’ve already been so good. You listen so well. I can’t wait until next time.” 

San’s cock twitches at the promise of a next time again. He tilts his head just so to catch Yunho’s lips in a kiss. The actor obliges, swallowing down another one of San’s moans with his lips. It’s wet and hot and everything San imagines kissing to be. He cards his fingers through Yunho’s hair and tugs him closer to deepen the kiss. 

A particularly hard thrust has him jerk away with a gasp. “Oh, fuck. I’m gonna—please. I wanna cum,” San begs. 

“Mmn. No one’s stopping you from cumming,” Yunho whispers into San’s ear as he focuses on fucking San’s tight hole until he’s nice and loose. He wants nothing more than to see San absolutely wrecked and ruined beneath him. It’s fascinating though. At no point does San try to reach down to jerk himself off. He just lies there with his arms framing either side of his head and he stares up at Yunho with half lidded eyes, sweat matting his hair to his forehead. 

“Kitten,” Yunho breathes the pet name into San’s ear. The reaction is instantaneous. San tightens up on his cock and throws his head back. Yunho smirks. “Next time, kitten, I’m gonna watch you fuck yourself on a dildo with my cock in your mouth. What do you think about that?” 

“I—” San doesn’t quite know how to answer or how he even wants to respond. 

“What do you think about that? Would you do that for me, kitten?” He slows his pace down a little in favor of sharper, harder thrusts. 

Whatever dull pain San had previously felt is gone, replaced entirely by pleasure and the satisfaction of just feeling this full. Now he just wants to cum. As if Yunho knows exactly that, he reaches between their bodies to wrap long fingers around his neglected cock. San bucks his hips up into his hand, releasing little whimpers and whines at the pleasurable friction. 

“Answer me and I’ll let you cum, kitten,” Yunho offers as he squeezes around the base of San’s cock. 

“Uh?” San ruts his hips up into Yunho’s hand in a failed attempt to chase that friction. He doesn’t know what Yunho wants. What he means when he tells San to answer him. He just wants to cum. San whines as he desperately bucks his hips up, simultaneously fucking himself down on Yunho’s cock as he tries to get the actor to move his hand over his dick again. “Please! Wanna cum.” 

“You can cum,” Yunho assures him even as he tightens his grip around the base of his cock. The exact opposite of what he’s promising San. “I’ll let you cum so long as you promise you’ll be good next time too.” 

“I’ll be good!” San tosses his head from side to side. 

“And what does being good mean?” Yunho taunts him. He squeezes the base of San’s cock tight when the younger man shouts as Yunho fucks into him harder. Precum beads at the head of his neglected dick, but Yunho isn’t ready to just give into him yet. 

For all his snark and lies, trying to play himself up as some kind of dream fuck, Yunho hadn’t expected San to be such a pliant doll in bed. He expected San to be fussy and demanding, fighting Yunho at every turn to get what he wanted. That’s what Yunho expected. He’d been ready and prepared to put the little assistant back in his place, but that had been unnecessary apparently. 

San followed Yunho’s lead beautifully. He did as he was told and took what he was given. He’s everything Yunho wants in a partner, and he hadn’t quite been ready for that. 

“Tell me and I’ll let you come,” Yunho says, biting back a grunt when he feels his balls tighten up. He’s going to cum soon. San’s body is so tight and hot. It’s hard enough holding back as he has, but he wants San to fall apart first. He wants the assistant to break beneath him. “What will you do for me, hm?” 

“Next time—” San hiccups when Yunho fucks into him sharp and hard. “Next time I’ll fuck myself on a toy for you. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. I promise.” 

“I know you will, kitten,” Yunho moans as he picks up his pace again and finally starts to move his hand. He jerks his hand up San’s shaft, twisting and swirling it around. He pays particular attention to the cockhead, eager to get San to come quickly. If the sobs and whimpers from San are anything to go by, it’s clearly working. “You listen to me so well. Follow directions so well, don’t you?” 

“Yes,” San agrees, blinking wet eyes up at Yunho. “I’ll be so good for you.” 

Yunho’s breath picks up at that and he moves his hand faster, squeezing his fingers around San’s cockhead. San shouts, legs trembling as heat quickly pools in his stomach. 

“Yunho. Yunho, please.” He brings his hands down to grab at the actor’s forearms, nails digging little crescent marks into the skin there. “I’m gonna cum.” 

“Do it,” Yunho orders him. “Cum.” 

San’s toes curl, his back arches violently off the bed, and his mouth falls open in a silent moan as cum spurts from the tip of his cock. It coats Yunho’s hand, dripping down the shaft and over his balls. The orgasm rips through his body stronger and more pleasurable than any before it. His head feels heavy against the pillows as he slides his eyes shut and rides out the pleasure while Yunho fucks him through it.

“Fuck,” San breathes out when he finally catches his breath. 

“Good boy.” Yunho removes his hand from San’s cock although he continues to thrust his hips, chasing after his own orgasm. San’s body pulls taunt, shivering when Yunho’s cock presses against his prostate. It borders on being painful. 

“Hurts.” He whines, squinting up at Yunho. He squirms in an attempt to dissuade the actor from continuing, but Yunho just pins him to the bed by the shoulders and continues to fuck ruthlessly into San. 

“I know. Hold still. Be a good boy and let me finish,” he says, carefully watching the younger man’s expression as he continues to rut into him. He knows it hurts, but he really doesn’t want to pull out. Not if he doesn’t have to. 

San tightens up on him but nods his head, relenting to Yunho’s demands just like the perfect little doll the actor is quickly learning that he is. Grinning, Yunho holds his cum stained hand out to San who grimaces and turns his head away when it ventures too close to his face. 

“Come on,” Yunho encourages him, hips stuttering when he presses messy fingers to San’s lips. It looks so fucking sinful. The visual has his head spinning. “Clean up my hand.” 

San’s dark gaze finds him, but Yunho doesn’t back down. He keeps his messy fingers on San’s lips, patiently waiting for the younger man to do as he asks. Truthfully, it’s not as if Yunho will be particularly upset or disappointed if he doesn’t do it. There aren’t that many people he’s been with that were even into cum eating. Most partners he had were the type to blow and spit. Even Yunho admittedly spits rather than swallows, but San is—well, Yunho isn’t quite sure to be honest.

At the very least he seems to like _listening_ to Yunho, and the actor wants to see how much he can push it. How far the smaller man is willing to go. He almost gives in too fast, ready to move his hand back to steady himself with his hold around San’s waist as his orgasm quickly sneaks up on him, but then San parts his pink lips and sucks one cum covered finger into his mouth. 

Yunho moans at the sight and feel of San’s hot, wet tongue running over his ring finger. San eagerly laps the digit clean before moving on to the next one. His tongue swipes along the space between Yunho’s fingers, licking up his own cum as he takes the next two fingers in at once. Yunho loses it between the visual and the sensation of San’s hot mouth around his fingers and his tight hole around his cock. Yunho spills into the condom, fucking into San through his orgasm before finally coming to a stop. 

San is still working on licking his hand clean as Yunho slips his soft cock from San, quietly moaning at the loss of warmth around him. “God, you’re so sexy,” Yunho compliments, running his clean hand through his sweaty locks, pushing his hair away from his eyes so he can watch San. His pupils are blown wide and dark as he watches San finish licking his hand clean, pressing one little kiss to the tip of Yunho’s index finger before pulling away completely. 

“Not so childish now, am I?” San grins at him, but the question doesn’t sound as taunting as he intends. Instead it sounds like he’s fishing for compliments. 

“Mm, definitely not,” Yunho agrees as he carefully peels the condom off of himself. “I’ll be right back.” He rolls off the bed as he tosses the used plastic into the little garbage bin he keeps in the corner of his room. He snatches a pair of clean underwear on his way out and slips into them as he heads for the kitchen in search of some water. 

When he returns to the bedroom, an extra glass of water in hand for San, he sees the younger man curled up on his side completely out cold. For a second, Yunho takes the opportunity to let his eyes roam over the naked expanse of San’s body. Who would have thought he had such a tight little body when he hid it beneath some of the ugliest clothing pieces Yunho had ever seen? 

With a little shake of his head, Yunho wanders over to the bed, setting the cup of water down on the nightstand before he crawls into bed next to San. He carefully rearranges the smaller man until he gets them both neatly tucked under his blankets. He falls asleep admiring the way San’s lashes cast shadows over his cheek bones.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is SO CHEESE and i hate it. So i'm giving you guys a double update later today to hide my embarrassment

There’s something off about San in the weeks after the movie premiere, but Seonghwa can’t quite place his finger on what that is. San is looking down at his phone, listing off Seonghwa’s schedule for the day as he herds the actor out of their company building and into the car because first things first: they need to go to hair and makeup. Seonghwa follows along with San although he’s noticeably slow, perhaps because he’s too busy staring at San’s exposed shoulder while his assistant desperately tries to herd him into the van. 

“You have a meeting about an upcoming drama at 5 today, but I’m going to have to go at 4:30. Your manager will be there with you though.” San wraps up his daily briefing by shoving Seonghwa into the van before climbing in after him. 

Seoonghwa plops down into his usual seat with a dazed and confused expression. “Why...why do you have to leave at 4:30? If I’m not done how are you done?”

“I have another contract to fulfill,” San reminds him with a sigh. “Have another one of those scheduled dates with Yunho.” 

Seonghwa scowls at the name of the young actor. “How much longer is this going to go on for?” he barks out. Honestly, so far it hasn’t even really interfered with San’s presence at Seonghwa’s side, but the actor is petty and possessive. San is  _ his _ to boss around. 

San shrugs his shoulders, not entirely sure of the answer himself. “Not much longer,” he assures Seonghwa anyways. He’s pretty sure it’s true at any rate. They had this scheduled date and then San is expected to attend the awards ceremony with Yunho in a month’s time, but past that the contract didn’t say much else. Neither Hongjoong nor Yunho have really said much about it either. 

At any rate, San had done what he’d been paid to do. The public thought he was Yunho’s boyfriend, and he’d done a pretty damn good job of that. Beyond that he has the feeling that Yunho isn’t all that interested in keeping in touch with him. They hadn’t even exchanged numbers or words the day after they slept together. 

San had woken up to a note pinned to Yunho’s fridge that just said he had to leave for work and that San should be careful when leaving the apartment. All other communication still came in through Hongjoong. It’s disappointing to San who had thought he’d at least managed to leave an impression on Yunho. Worse than that is the fact that he has to admit that Seonghwa is right. 

He likes Yunho. 

It’s not exactly a revelation for him so much as it is a hard pill to swallow. San likes Yunho. Has always liked him since he watched him in his first drama. But that was it. No different than a mere celebrity crush. So what if San thought he was handsome? So what if he tended to follow the latest gossip surrounding Yunho online? The most his crush on the actor ever led him to do was maybe buy the latest issue of whatever magazine Yunho was on the cover of that month. 

It was never anything more than that. 

It was never intended to be anything more than that. 

Even with the start of this movie, when San realized that Seonghwa would be starring alongside Yunho, San hadn’t let his giddy excitement take hold of him. He maintained his professionalism, keeping to himself and focusing on his actual job. He’d been happy enough as is, satisfied with the way Yunho had simply smiled and tilted his head in recognition on the first day of filming when San had been passing out water bottles to everyone. He’d made a brief introduction to everyone, including Yunho, and figured that was that. 

Then Hongjoong had come along with this stupid fucking contract. Was it any wonder San had been thrown into a loop of confusion ever since then.

He knows this whole thing is pretend. It’s fake. To get Yunho out of any heat that would have come down on him for getting caught with a one night stand, but San doesn’t think it’s his fault for _wanting_. Fake as it may be, San figured it could be an opportunity to attract the actor. 

What a joke that idea had been. 

If he’s lucky this whole thing won’t last much longer. San isn’t sure how much more abuse his pride or dignity could take. Yunho always managed to get his hopes up somehow, only to quickly remind San how stupidly gullible he is. 

Seonghwa sits up a little straighter when San slides the door shut and finishes placing Seonghwa’s bags neatly in the back seat. Staring at his assistant’s bare shoulder, Seonghwa finally has an idea of what has been off about San. “Your sweater,” he says as he reaches out to pinch the collar of the sweater. The material is soft and warm under his touch and seems to naturally fall off San’s shoulder like that. 

His assistant glances down at his hand before lifting his gaze up to blink at him curiously. “What is it?” he asks when Seonghwa fails to finish his train of thought. 

The actor swallows a lump that had formed in his throat as he stares at his assistant. “It’s...nice,” he chokes out the word as if it leaves a foreign and bitter taste in his mouth. “It looks  _ good _ on you.” And therein lies the problem. The sweater is cute enough as is in Seonghwa’s opinion, but it looks stupidly good on San. It frames his shoulders just perfectly, form fitting enough that it accents San’s small waist, but still loose enough that it appears effortlessly casual. And the way one sleeve just casually slipped off to expose his shoulder? Just the right amount of sexy. 

But since when the hell did San dress like _this_? 

“Oh. Thanks.” San smiles, pleased by the compliment as he shrugs his shoulder and looks down at himself. “I bought it last weekend.” 

“You went shopping?” Seonghwa blinks. San and shopping are two words he had never associated with each other before. 

“Uh. My friends wanted to go, and I had some, uh, disposable income now so I thought I’d give my wardrobe a little bit of an update.” San shrugs it off as he buckles himself in. “They helped me pick it out.” 

“You should let them pick out your entire closet,” Seonghwa muses as he finally pulls back but not before getting another eyeful of San’s new look. San laughs at his suggestion, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck as he’s suddenly reminded of the events that had unfolded last weekend.

It had been an experience to be sure. Jongho had been eager to get a new pair of shoes recently, and San and Mingi tagged along like they always did. The original plan had simply been to get Jongho’s new pair of shoes and then swing by their favorite lunch spot and maybe watch a movie afterwards. The second half of the plan had been derailed when one particular shop had a display that caught San’s eye. He pointed at the store, looked at his friends, and pleaded with them to help him pick out something cool. 

The disaster had come when San realized just exactly who he’d asked to help him out. Mingi’s fashion sense was about as bad as his own. Jongho at least tried, but he always wore things San could never see himself wearing. In the end the items he’d bought had been gauged on a sole sliding indicator of how likely his friends were to want to fuck him if they met him at a party. 

One good outcome had clearly been this sweater if even Seonghwa is complimenting him on it. One bad outcome had been that San learned just how low Mingi’s standards were when it came to who and what he found fuckable. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” San laughs, pulling the sleeve of his sweater back over his shoulder. It doesn’t stay long, quickly falling down the length of his shoulder to expose smooth skin once again. 

Seonghwa is mildly alarmed at the way his eyes zero in on the display. He’s grown so accustomed to thinking of his assistant as little more than a kid; he’s struggling to process the idea that San can actually be sexy if he wants. He quickly shakes the thought off as a new, more alarming one takes its place. “Wait, is this because of your  _ date _ later today?” 

San flushes and quickly turns his head away from Seonghwa, but he might as well be pleading guilty in a court of law. “Well, I need to look good—” 

“You don’t need to,” Seonghwa protests. “You need to look like Yunho’s boyfriend. Looking like a whole snack wasn’t in the contract.”

Clearing his throat, San fruitlessly tries to adjust the sleeve of his sweater again but to no avail. It just keeps slipping off to expose one narrow shoulder. “We’re gonna be on camera.” 

“Like anyone’s going to remember you after this whole thing is over.” Seonghwa waves his concern off. 

San pouts at the harsh sentiment even if Seonghwa is probably right. “Even so, those pictures might live on forever. I’d die rather than be forever remembered as the little kid Yunho once dated.” 

Seonghwa huffs a little laugh at his complaint, “Fair enough.” He leans back into his seat, eyes still on San as his assistant scrolls through his schedule one more time to make sure he has everything in order for the day. “Are you going to be okay when this is all over?” Seonghwa blurts out before he can even think about what he’s saying. 

Dropping his phone into his lap, San looks up at the actor and forces his lips up into a smile. “Of course. Things will just go back to normal. Why wouldn’t I be okay?” 

“Just...want to be sure.” 

“I’ll be better once things go back to normal,” San assures him. “This whole thing has been awful. Trust me, I can’t wait for this thing to be over.” 

  
  
  
  


At 4:30 Yunho’s SUV pulls up to the studio San had dropped Seonghwa off at for a short interview with a director who was interested in casting Seonghwa as the lead for an upcoming drama. Taking a deep breath, San peers at his own reflection in the dark tinted windows of the vehicle as it comes to a stop in front of him and forces himself not to hesitate as he yanks open the door and slides into the empty seat beside Yunho. 

“Hey,” Hongjoong greets, peeking around the passenger seat to shoot San a smile. “How are you today?” 

San glances over to Yunho who has his head turned towards his own window. He hasn’t even spared San a look yet, and the assistant swallows down his disappointment. “Good.” He smiles back at Hongjoong. At least Yunho’s manager is pretty nice. He always asks San how he’s doing when they talk over the phone and he’s always nice enough to remember to thank San for the favor he’s doing for them unlike some other people. “Had a long day today.” 

Hongjoong hums sympathetically and glances at Yunho. The actor still doesn’t move or say anything, and his manager clears his throat when it becomes obvious that Yunho isn’t interested in engaging with San any time soon. “Unfortunately, we still have to ask you to work a little more today. Hopefully it will feel a little more relaxed though,” Hongjoong murmurs apologetically. 

“Don’t worry about it.” San scoots forward in his seat to lean in closer to Hongjoong. “What...is there anything in particular I need to do today?” 

“It’s supposed to be more casual today,” Hongjoong tells him. “Just a night out on the town.” 

“I know. Paparazzis’ are going to be on our asses though, right?” Hongjoong at least looks apologetic. “Is there anything that you, like, need today? For them?” 

“Well,” Hongjoong sneaks another look to Yunho and then lowers his voice like he’s worried that his next words might offend the actor. “Since the goal of this is to make it seem all casual, if you could give them a shot of a candid kiss that would be perfect.” San freezes at the suggestion, blinking at Hongjoong who just smiles at him. Then his gaze travels over to Yunho for a second before he snaps his eyes back over to Hongjoong. “Doesn’t have to be anything intimate. A peck on the cheek will do,” the manager clarifies. 

“Right.” San’s voice cracks, and he leans back into his seat to sink down. “No—it’s okay. I get it. It’s, uh, doable.” More than doable considering what the two of them had done the last time they’d met. A peck on the cheek seems easy enough all things considered. He thinks. 

Glancing over at Yunho, San suddenly has doubts about how cooperative the actor intends to be. He’s clearly been avoiding acknowledging San’s existence, and San wonders just how much the actor regrets sleeping with him. But then Yunho finally turns his head to spare him a look only to visibly do a double take as he stares at San with wide eyes. 

“What?” San blinks and tilts his head to the side when he sees the obvious shock on the actor’s face. 

“Huh? Oh—nothing.” Yunho clears his throat as he turns away from San. He can’t keep his gaze off of him though, and his eyes inevitably travel back over to San, roaming the expanse of shoulder exposed for all the world to see. “Where are we going, Hongjoong?” Yunho asks. It’s the perfect opportunity to tear his gaze away from San to give his attention to his manager instead, but he doesn’t. He can’t, seemingly entranced by the sight of San’s skin. 

“Oh, there’s a trendy little shopping district not too far from here,” Hongjoong says. “Spend a couple hours there. Get something to eat. Make sure you put on a good show for those vultures.” He tilts his head back to look at Yunho only to realize the actor isn’t even looking at him. His gaze is still fixated on San. 

San turns his head to look at him, and their eyes meet. It’s finally enough to tear Yunho’s gaze away from that damned shoulder, but it’s not much better in terms of getting himself under control. “Easy enough,” he says, eyes drooping down into a smouldering gaze. 

San flushes at the look Yunho levels him with and quickly breaks eye contact. It’s time to get into character, he tells himself. He needs to play the person who’s enamored with his actor boyfriend not be that person. It’s a critical difference that seems to be balanced on a razor’s edge. One that San struggles to keep from cutting himself on. 

Hongjoong drops them off in front of a busy shopping district, right in front of a store San has never heard of but, staring at it, is clearly out of his price range. Both San and Yunho hop out of the car as soon as it comes to a stop although Yunho quickly rounds the trunk of the car to meet San on the sidewalk. He offers his hand out to San as Hongjoong rolls down his window. 

“Let me know when and where you guys want to be picked up later,” he says. San barely hears him as he hesitantly reaches out to grab Yunho’s hand. His fingers are so long and pretty and fold around San’s hand in a way that leaves him shivering. 

“Sure thing.” Yunho lifts his free hand up to wave off his manager before he turns to lead San down the street. 

Immediately San is on the lookout, eyes scanning their surroundings and head craning to peer around every corner he can see. Yunho bites back a snort at how ridiculous he looks. “What are you doing?” he asks instead. 

“Keeping an eye out for any cameras,” San murmurs. 

“Don’t worry about them. They’ll find us soon enough.” Yunho leads San along, and San trails after him like an obedient puppy. San has never been to this district before, but Yunho seems to know exactly where he wants to go. The assistant is silent as Yunho leads them into a small boutique. “They’re like sharks. As soon as a drop of blood hits the water they’re all over it.”

San laughs at his analogy, looking over at the actor so his gaze doesn’t stray to all the clothing he probably can’t afford. “Are you the blood in that case?” he asks playfully. 

“No. That would be you.” Yunho glances down at him. He drops his hold on San’s hand to reach out and touch his neck, finally allowing himself to give into temptation. His fingers trail down the length of San’s neck and over his bare shoulder. “You look good, by the way.” 

San sputters at the compliment, and his face heats up. “I—uh—I do?” he asks as Yunho strokes his thumb over his collarbone. San’s skin burns in the wake of his touch, but he can’t do more than take in little shuddering breaths. 

“Mmn.” Yunho hums before finally pulling his hand away from San. “I like the new look.” 

“Thanks!” San squeaks out. Yunho grins at his reaction and then turns to browse some of the clothing on display. San stumbles after him and can’t stop himself from blurting out, “My friends helped me pick it out.” It’s so stupid. San immediately slaps a hand over his mouth, feeling silly for even admitting such a thing. He just wanted to keep the conversation going.

Yunho turns back to him, lips quirked up into a smirk. “Oh, is that so?” He very openly rakes his eyes down San’s body, admiring the way this simple style change completely changes his perception of San. “They did a good job, but I can do better.” 

“What do you mean?” San blinks at him. 

With a smile, Yunho crooks his finger to signal San to come closer. And like a moth to a flame, San obeys. 

Yunho has a number of bags looped over his arm by the time San finally spots a camera. He’s not sure it’s the first that’s been trained on them tonight, but it’s definitely the first one that he noticed. The “date” had been casual just as Hongjoong assured him it would be, and once again the line between his character and San seemed to blur the more time he spent with Yunho. 

The actor had taken him from store to store, apparently inspired by San’s sudden style change to overhaul his entire closet. San had gasped and protested when Yunho first pulled his credit card out. He hadn’t thought any of this was that serious or that Yunho would actually buy him any gifts, but the actor had simply held him at bay until the transaction was complete. 

“Consider it a gift,” Yunho said as he handed the bag to San. “For helping me out with this whole situation.” 

“I thought that was what the payments were for,” San muttered as he awkwardly accepted the bag from the actor. 

“That’s the company’s way of getting you to go along with them and to keep you silent afterwards,” Yunho snorted with a roll of his eyes. “This is from me.” 

“So…” San trails off as he stares down at the bag in his hand and a sly smile slowly stretches out over his lips. “Is this you saying thank you?” 

“Take it or leave it.” Yunho moved to snatch the bag from San’s hands, but the smaller man quickly ducked away, holding the purchase closer to his chest like a treasure. It was answer enough, but it also wasn’t the end of these gifts. 

San only spots the camera when he comes running back out of the jewelry store Yunho wanted to stop by. He’d gotten San a simple silver necklace with a square pendant while San had fixated on a set of fancy watches behind the glass case. Yunho clasped the necklace behind his neck and led him out of the store when San had doubled back because he really, really wanted to buy one of those watches. 

“What did you get?” Yunho asks, eyeing the small bag in San’s hand. 

“Nothing!” He glances at Yunho before his eyes quickly dart back towards the paparazzi he’d spotted, but the man with the camera is gone. 

“What’s wrong?” 

San shakes his head and waves off Yunho’s concern. “Nothing. Just...saw a camera a second ago.” 

“I told you they’d find us.” 

Humming, San eyes their surroundings with a bit more paranoia than usual before he settles his gaze on Yunho. Hongjoong’s request reverberates through his head, and he jolts at the reminder that he needs to display some casual intimacy for them. His face heats up as his stomach churns from a combination of nerves and apprehension, worried about whether Yunho will actually be okay with it. 

They’d been as intimate as two people could get, but that had been something primal. This was considerably...different and didn’t feel the least bit natural to San. 

He reminds himself that Hongjoong said even a kiss on the cheek would suffice. So long as it looks natural and intimate, right? San could do that. 

Yunho raises his eyebrows at San’s behavior, but San doesn’t want to discuss it. If they go into it like there’s some kind of strategy that needs to be discussed beforehand, the whole thing will look horribly unnatural. San just knows it. If they wanted candid, San would give them candid. He could do that. Just a quick, innocent peck to the cheek. They were acting. That’s all this was. Just. Acting. 

Mentally counting to three, San steels his nerves and, before he can even give himself a chance to second guess, he lifts himself up on his tip toes and cranes his neck to press a small peck to Yunho’s cheek. Only his lips don’t meet Yunho’s cheek. 

Whether it’s on purpose or not San will probably never know, but Yunho turns his head at that exact moment so lips meet lips instead of a cheek. San jolts back at the touch, not anticipating the soft feel of lips against his, but Yunho grabs him by the waist and pulls him closer, leaning down to catch him in another kiss. 

It’s nothing raunchy—no tongue or teeth to be seen—but it is hot and intimate and maybe lasts a tad longer than is strictly necessary. When Yunho finally relaxes his hold around San’s waist and allows him to pull away, the younger man does so with a gasping breath. It hadn’t been San’s original plan but surely that was good still, right? 

Yunho leans in close enough that his breath is warm against San’s cheek when he next speaks. “I believe that you still have a promise to fulfill,” he says. 

San furrows his eyebrows together initially in confusion, wondering if Yunho is referring to the contract. Had they not done what they set out to do? A casual date that ended with a kiss caught on cameras. The gossip columns were sure to go crazy with this. But then another thought crosses San’s mind, and the tips of his ears burn red with embarrassment. “You mean…?” he trails off, unable to finish the thought. At least not out load. 

Yunho hums. “You wanna come back to my place?” 

  
  
  
  


San is every bit as delightfully sinful and sexy as Yunho not only remembers but imagines he would be. He pins San to the bed, holding his wrists above his head with one hand while he reaches down with the other to press slick fingers into the smaller man’s waiting hole. 

San cries out, spreading his legs further as Yunho works him open with his fingers until he’s loose and wet. He wiggles his hips when Yunho pulls away, fully expecting—nay, even anticipating—Yunho’s cock to press into him, so he can’t help the whine that falls from his pouty lips when Yunho pulls back from him almost completely. 

The actor leans over the side of the bed, yanking open the bottom drawer of his night stand. San props himself up on his elbows to peer down at whatever it is Yunho is rummaging around in the drawer for. He pulls back with a long silicone dildo clenched in his hand. San stares at the item in a mixture of shock and amusement before his face heats up when he’s smacked with the sudden realization of why Yunho pulled a fucking dildo out of his drawer. 

This had been a part of San’s promise from that night. He’d promised to fuck himself on a toy for Yunho next time. Fuck. He didn’t think Yunho actually wanted to see that though. He thought it was just a part of the teasing. Staring at the pink dildo clutched in Yunho’s hand, San can clearly tell that the actor had been dead serious about it. 

“Well, this is unexpected.” He laughs but takes the toy from Yunho’s hand. 

“Is it? I believe you agreed to this last time.” 

“Not that.” San licks his lips as he runs his fingers along the toy’s shaft curiously. It’s not unlike the one San has at home, but it feels noticeably heavier in his hand. He plays with it like it’s a real cock, pleased when he sees the way Yunho’s gaze darkens as he watches his hands work over the toy. “I didn’t expect you to own a pink one is all,” he teases. 

Yunho struck him as the type who probably didn’t even need toys, but who likely would have owned a flesh colored dildo or maybe one of those sleek black ones if he needed one. A pretty pink dildo had been the last thing San expected to see him pull out. He reaches past Yunho for the lube only to freeze up when the actor grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him in close. 

“I got this one for you, kitten,” he whispers into San’s ear. 

San tilts his head back and melts at the words, and he’s suddenly so eager to show Yunho just how pretty he is when he’s split open on this pink toy. Yunho grabs him by the arm and manhandles him until he has the smaller man on his knees next to the bed. He pulls San closer, settling him between his legs and admiring how he looks like this.

San’s breaths pick up when Yunho tangles his fingers into his hair, tightening his grip and pulling San’s head back as he brandishes the pink cock in front of San’s face with his other hand. He holds the tip up to San’s lips, running the soft, rubbery head along his lips. San doesn’t need anymore encouragement, understanding the actor’s silent direction without hesitation. 

He parts his lips and pokes his tongue out to run along the head of the toy cock. Pleased by his obedience, Yunho loosens his hold on San’s hair although his fingers remain as a steady reminder of his power over the little assistant. He watches the way San swirls his pink tongue over the head of the toy intently. San doesn’t seem to know exactly what he’s doing although he’s clearly eager and trying to put on a show for Yunho. 

Grinning at the display, Yunho holds San’s head still with one hand as he roughly shoves the toy down his throat. San gags, blinking tears back from his eyes as Yunho immediately pulls the toy out until the tip rests against San’s tongue. The smaller man heaves in a few breaths, wet eyes seeking out Yunho’s with a wounded expression. 

“Never sucked a cock before, huh?” Yunho remarks, running the dildo’s head along San’s tongue. He shakes his head and makes a wet sound of protest. “Show me what you can do then. Okay, kitten?” He doesn’t even wait for a response before he presses the tip of the toy to the back of San’s throat. 

San’s lips seal over the shaft as he gags again. Yunho isn’t as nice this time. He pulls back only enough to relieve pressure on San’s gag reflex before he pushes the toy in further again. More wet noises escape San as a string of drool escapes the corner of his mouth and drips down onto his chest. 

Yunho stares at him, watching the way San struggles to take the plastic cock down every time Yunho rocks it against the back of his throat. He’s already imagining just how wet and warm and  _ pretty _ he’ll look with Yunho’s cock stuffing his mouth full instead. 

He pulls the dildo from San’s lips with a soft pop. The tip and shaft of it are shiny and slick from San’s spit, but Yunho still lubes it up for him before he hands it out to San. “Here,” he encourages, smile widening when San reaches up to take the toy from his hand. His eyes are already so clouded and dazed with desire, and they haven’t even started the fun part yet. 

There’s a suction cup at the end of the toy that San uses to stick it to the floor between himself and Yunho. Then he pushes himself up onto his knees and braces himself with hands on Yunho’s knees. The actor tightens his hold in San’s hair, guiding him crawl closer until he’s hovering over the erect toy. San whines at the rough treatment, hips jolting up in shock when the tip of the toy brushes against his balls.

He hesitates at that moment and lifts his head up to search out Yunho’s gaze. The actor’s eyes are half lidded and his gaze is absolutely ravenous. San shivers at the look, feeling like prey beneath Yunho’s gaze. “Well?” Yunho prompts when San stays frozen and rooted in his spot. “Sit on it.” 

With his hand still in San’s hair, he guides the small man down, but the toy bends beneath him, rubbing along his hole and balls without actually penetrating. “Wait.” San cries out, hissing when Yunho pulls on his hair again. He moves one hand from Yunho’s knee to reach down, holding the toy cock still so he can properly sink down on it. He holds his breath when the tip first breaches his entrance before releasing it as he easily sinks down the shaft. 

This is familiar, easier for San than Yunho’s cock like he had last time. He mewls as he feels the length of the toy fill him up. San knows what to do with himself and a toy. He has control over himself this time although it’s arguably much hotter than usual with Yunho’s piercing stare fixated on him. 

San shifts on his knees to find a more comfortable position and grins up at Yunho, ready to put on a show for the actor only to quickly be reminded that despite what he might have initially thought he is not in control. Yunho clearly has a very domineering side, and even when San is split open on a toy rather than his cock, he makes sure that the assistant remembers that. 

Yunho reaches down with his free hand to fist himself, eyes never once leaving San’s. “Go on then,” he commands through a quiet grunt as he strokes his own erection. “Show me how pretty you can be.” 

Swallowing thickly, San digs his nails into Yunho’s knee as he steadies himself with his other hand planted on the floor. He leans forward for better leverage and then lifts his hips up before sinking back down on the dildo. He cries out at the sensation and does it again, fucking himself on the toy on his knees in front of Yunho. 

The actor leans back with a self satisfied smile on his lips as more whimpers and moans fall from San’s lips as he rides the toy for Yunho’s viewing pleasure. “I knew it,” Yunho says, playing with the head of his cock as he watches San bounce on the plastic dick. “You’re just as fucking noisy with a tooy in you as an actual cock.” 

San sucks in a sharp breath and releases it as a pathetic mewl. His knees are already beginning to ache, but he keeps up his pace, arching his back when the toy rubs against his prostate.

Yunho jerks him forward at the same time. San parts his lips in a yelp, and Yunho’s shaft slides along his parted lips. They both groan, Yunho from the feel of San’s hot mouth against his cock and San from a mixture of the toy teasing right up against his sweet spot and the warm, velvety feel of Yunho’s cock against his tongue.

He drops his mouth open, cocking his head just right so that Yunho can easily guide the head of his cock into San’s mouth. San groans at the taste, body heating up with pride when Yunho makes this breathy little sound in response. It’s so much better than eating a plastic cock. 

San enthusiastically runs his tongue along the underside of Yunho’s cock before pulling back to suckle on the head. His hips frantically move up and down as he fucks himself on the toy. He honestly has no idea what he’s doing when it comes to sucking cock. He’s never done it before, so he’s understandably messy and clumsy about the whole thing. It doesn’t help that for once Yunho seems content to let him do his own thing. He just holds San by the back of his head, not allowing him to pull off but not forcing him down either. 

For a moment Yunho seems content to let it be like that. He strokes his fingers through San’s hair and smirks as he watches the younger man struggle to fuck himself open and suck cock at the same time. But eventually his fingers tighten up in San’s hair and it’s the only warning he gives before he pulls San forward, forcing him down on his cock until he hits the back of his throat, and San gags. 

He pulls San off, allowing him to suck in one breath and then another, before he pulls San back down on his cock. San chokes, tears clinging to his lashes when Yunho holds him there. He coughs as best he can around the cock in his mouth before Yunho lets him pull away again.

“You’re so messy, kitten. Drooling all over my cock like that.” San’s saliva runs thick and heavy down Yunho’s shaft. His lips are swollen and red, slick and shiny with spit as he desperately gasps in air. He stopped riding the dildo the first time Yunho choked him out on his cock, and he’s too blissed out and focused on the dick still on his tongue to remember it. “You have zero skill, but I’ll give you points for enthusiasm,” Yunho teases him, pressing the head of his cock to the inside of San’s cheek until it bulges out. 

San protests, but it’s nothing more than some garbled noise around Yunho’s cock that draws a laugh from the actor. Yunho reaches out to run his fingers along the outline of his cock, relishing in the way San looks on his knees before him. God, why was this kid so _good_? 

“Hey. Did you forget?” Yunho lightly smacks his palm against San’s bulging cheek. “Bounce on that toy for me, yeah?” 

San moans, remembering that part now, and he moves his hips again. 

“That’s it. Good boy.” San’s body flushes from the praise, and he presses his tongue flat against the underside of Yunho’s cock. The actor groans and leans into San’s personal space. “I’m gonna choke you on my dick again. You ready, kitten?” 

San tightens up on the toy and blinks wet eyes up at Yunho. There’s a moment of hesitation before he nods his head once. Grinning, Yunho stands up as he pulls San’s head back by his hair. He presses his cock in slowly, carefully watching San’s expression change as he sinks his cock down his throat. When he hits the back of his throat again, San chokes and gurgles, hips stuttering before he drops down, boneless, onto the dildo. 

“You sound so fucking  _ hot _ when you choke like that,” Yunho growls. San practically glows from the praise, sucking in a breath when Yunho pulls back before he sinks into San’s mouth again. The younger man digs his fingers into Yunho’s thighs and squeezes his eyes shut as he valiantly fights back his gag reflex. 

Yunho looks down at him at the same time that San squints open watery, tear filled eyes, and the actor groans at the sight. San’s eyes are so wet, eyelashes clumped together from his tears, a light blush is spread across his cheeks, and his lips look obscene stretched around his cock. He looks exactly how Yunho imagined he would: pretty, obedient and like he was made to suck cock despite clearly never having done it before. 

He chokes around Yunho again, and the actor pulls back with a groan, unable to take it anymore. He pulls back, slipping his cock from San’s lips. He fists his wet cock, holding it just above San’s face as he frantically jerks himself off. “I’m gonna make a mess of you,” he groans. “More than you already are.” 

San whimpers at the promise. He tilts his head back and parts his lips, waiting in anticipation as Yunho hurriedly jacks himself off. It doesn’t take long. A few pumps and staring down at San’s face, absolutely ruined from the rough treatment earlier, and Yunho cums with a low groan, spilling his load all over San’s face. 

“Fuck,” Yunho curses loudly, fisting himself through his orgasm as he intently watches the way his cum paints San’s cheek bones. Some of it drips into San’s mouth, and he doesn’t hesitate to swallow it. “You’re perfect. You’re so fucking perfect. What the hell?” Yunho drops to his knees next to San, reaching for his neglected cock. 

“Hngh!” San clenches down on the dildo again and throws his head back when Yunho wraps his large hand around his cock. He must look like a mess, kneeling on the floor with a toy in his ass, face a mess of sweat and cum, but he’s frankly never felt better before. “Oh, my God!” he shouts in a hoarse voice when Yunho jerks him off. It doesn’t take him long, just a few quick pumps from Yunho and his hips twitch up as he cums with a little cry. 

Yunho talks him through it, whispering praises into San’s ear as he alternately jerks up into Yunho’s hand and fucks down onto the toy as he rides out his high. “That’s it. Good boy,” he faintly hears Yunho say into his ear. San honestly can’t remember much after that. 

  
  
  
  


It’s late in the morning when San wakes up in Yunho’s bed for a second time. For the second time the bed is empty except for him, but unlike the first time, Yunho is still around when San eventually ventures out of the bedroom after he showers and changes back into his clothes. Yunho is in the kitchen hunched over his tablet with a glass of orange next to him. He has a pair of thick rimmed glasses perched on his nose that San can’t help but stare at as he shuffles out of the room. 

Yunho glances up when he enters and straightens up when he realizes San is up. “Oh good,” he says, pushing his glasses up with the back of his hand. San swears his heart doesn’t skip a beat at the action. He swears. “I need to leave soon, have a photo shoot at noon, but I can drop you off at home or the company if you want a lift.” 

San’s mouth dries at the offer. “Um, yeah. That—that would be good.” 

“You wanna eat or drink something before we go? Gotta be quick.” Yunho motions to his fridge but San shakes his head. 

“Thanks, but I’m good.” 

“Then get your stuff ready. My driver will be here any second.” 

Nodding his head eagerly, San turns on his heels and ducks back into the bedroom. He clambers around in search of the various bags and gifts Yunho had purchased for him, sifting through them for a small bag from the jewelry store they had gone into last. He finds it tipped over on the floor next to the night stand, and he quickly snatches it up as he casts a furtive glance back towards the bedroom door. He can hear Yunho moving around in the main room, but he doesn’t sound like he’s making his way back to the bedroom. 

Digging through the bag for the little box inside, San admires the intricately designed box for a moment. In the end he had gone back to buy one of those watches. A simple square shaped one with a nice leather strap around it. It was the first designer item he’d ever bought, and it had cost no small amount. Honestly, San was only able to swallow down the cost because of the extra money he’d gotten from Yunho’s company for this stupid contract. 

It wasn’t anything he could live off of for the rest of his life but it did put a generous amount of pocket money into his bank account, so putting down the money for the watch hadn’t been as hard as San thinks it normally would have been. Maybe it also helped that he hadn’t bought it for himself. 

San lifts it up to place it on the nightstand, fiddling with its position for a moment until he’s satisfied that it won’t be easy to miss. Then he shoves the empty bag into one of the other one and gathers up his things before he leaves to meet Yunho. 

“Ready?” Yunho asks him when he emerges from the bedroom again. 

San nods his head and trails after Yunho when the actor crooks a finger at him, silently beckoning him to follow along. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa watches San through the mirror while his hairstylist works on his hair. His makeup artist is leading San over to her side of the studio, ushering him to sit down in a chair as she combs through the various brushes in her brush bag. It’s a weird feeling, watching his assistant get done up for the awards show at the same time as Seonghwa. He feels a little bit jealous. A little bit inferior, scowling as he watches his makeup artist carefully brush San’s bangs away from his eyes before carefully dabbing foundation onto his face. 

His hairstylist jumps when he sighs loudly and violently flips the page of his magazine. Maybe he’s just a little bit salty about the fact that he only got nominated for best supporting role, not awarded it, and he’s really attending more out of politeness than anything else. A part of him is a little bit giddy that San is coming with him for once. It’s someone safe that he can whine to whenever someone Seonghwa hates gets an award.

That is until he remembers that San will not be at his side. He’ll be at fucking Jung Yunho’s side, and Seonghwa silently seethes at the mere thought. Why was his staff getting San all dolled up so he could look pretty and presentable at  _ that monster’s  _ side? It was ridiculous. Absolutely, utterly mind boggling. 

“It’s the last thing they want from me,” San explains after the staff leads him over to the chair next to Seonghwa. “The contract is over after this.” 

Seonghwa blinks and stares at San’s crystal blue eyes. The colored contacts are positively vibrant, a lovely contrast to San’s dark hair and made all the more noticeable by the neutral shades of eyeshadow smudged around the corner of his eyes. That combined with the white dress shirt and grey blazer he’s in only bring further attention to the light blue color of his eyes. Seonghwa is loath to see just how nice he’ll look once his hair is done too. 

“I hate this,” he says, burying his nose back into his magazine. 

“What?” 

“You. Getting dolled up so they can hang you like arm candy on my _nemesis_.” 

“It’s just one more event,” San tries to assure him. 

“Do you know how much humiliation they’ve already subjected me to?! Him and his damn company.” Seonghwa exclaims as he throws his head back and flails his arms around. “My own assistant! Your legacy will be such that people will only remember how you once dated Yunho and not how you were the greatest errand boy to ever live! I can’t bear to think about it.” 

“I thought you said no one would even remember me after this,” San points out. 

“I’ll remember the humiliation!” Seonghwa kicks his legs out childishly. “I mean, I come here even though I’m not even getting best supporting role and my assistant is probably going to get more news coverage than me because he’s supposedly dating the guy who got _best lead role this year_.” 

San would have laughed at the actor’s fit if he weren’t so completely caught up in his own devastation that this was it. San will have completed the contract once this night is over, and he isn’t quite sure how he feels about it. Part of him is relieved, desperate to return to normalcy. But there’s a sick part of him that isn’t ready to stop yet, not until he’s got Yunho wrapped around his finger. 

He wants to think that he’s gotten there. Or is getting there. He managed to sleep with Yunho twice already, but they still don’t speak outside of their arrangement. They still haven’t exchanged numbers, and San has absolutely no way of knowing if Yunho had noticed the gift San had left him. If he liked or it had laughed and tossed it out. 

Seonghwa’s hairstylist walks around his chair to stand behind him, gentle fingers combing through his hair as she tries to decide on what she should do with him. “Don’t be like that, Seonghwa. Do you know how excited your fans are to see you after the hiatus? In six months no one will even remember this stupid thing between Yunho and me,” San assures him. Maybe not even Yunho. “And you already have a new role lined up in an upcoming drama. People will be talking about you again soon.” 

Seonghwa sighs, but the upturn curl of his lips indicates that he’s satisfied with the thought that he’s coming back into the public eye. “More than anything I’m looking forward to not having to share you anymore,” he says. 

San looks down at his lap and smiles thinly as the hairstylist grabs one of the hair dryers and a large round brush. “I think it’ll be nice to go back to just being bullied by one actor,” San jokes, tilting his chin up when the hairstylist directs him to. 

San is finished before Seonghwa is because he needs to get going first. Hongjoong wanted to pick him up and bring him over to their own studio while Yunho was getting ready, and asked that San be ready by 4 at the latest. A familiar black SUV parks right in front of the studio just as Seonghwa’s stylist finishes perfectly setting his bangs to the side, and Seonghwa huffs with a scowl on his face as San quickly slips into a coat and waves at the actor. 

His makeup artist chides him for scowling like that, telling him he would ruin his makeup. “I better see you bright and early tomorrow!” Seonghwa calls after his assistant, twisting in his chair to watch San go. His makeup artist squeals when his sudden action causes her to smear foundation over his cheek. “I’ll work you into the ground! You better make up for all the times you left me to cater to my rival!” 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” San laughs as he pushes open the door and heads for the car. 

Seonghwa narrows his eyes as his assistant opens the door to the back seat and climbs inside like he’s all too familiar with the vehicle and occupants inside. As the car pulls away from the studio, he makes a mental list of all the petty and stupid things he’ll make San do for him tomorrow. His assistant would rue the day he ever agreed to dating his rival, fake or not. 

  
  
  
  


Perhaps the movie premiere had just been practice for this moment. The procedure is largely the same with the only real difference being the little photo area with boards plastered with the award show’s name and a small sea of photographers planted right in front of it. Yunho steps out of the car first before he takes San by the hand and helps him out. 

The car ride had been stereotypically silent. Yunho complimented Seonghwa’s stylist for their job well done on San before inevitable silence fell between them. San kept telling himself that the sinking feeling in his chest wasn’t his heart dropping to his stomach. Now, outside of the safety of the car and thrust in front of a whole crowd of people, San forces himself to forget about his sinking heart. He has a performance to put on right now.

Yunho leads him over to the photo-op area with an arm around his waist. Camera flashes go off as soon as they’re in frame, but, unphased, Yunho leads them to the center and rearranges them into a proper pose. San puts on a coy smile as more flashes go off. He reaches up to hold onto the hand around his waist, fingers tracing along the back of Yunho’s hand to his bare wrist. 

Briefly, San’s smile falters before he fixes it back into place just before Yunho leads them away from photo-op to head into the venue. San trots behind the actor’s back to switch places at his side, and the actor shoots him a curious look as he leads them inside. The assistant shakes his head with a tight smile and reaches out to take Yunho’s hand. He feels along the actor’s sleeve as subtly as he can while various ushers direct them to the seat reserved for them.

This time San cannot deny that it is, in fact, his heart that sinks when he notices that both of Yunho’s wrists are bare. He’s not wearing the gift San bought for him. The disappointment he feels is immeasurable, and his mood must visibly plummet by the time they’ve finally taken their seat because Yunho leans over and whispers into his ear, “This is your last job. Smile more.” 

San wants to make a face and dig his elbow into the actor’s side and chide him for telling him what to do. San doesn’t have to do  _ anything  _ for fuck’s sake, and he’s _mad_. Mad that this is his last night as Yunho’s boyfriend and they haven’t so much as exchanged more than two sentences. Mad that Yunho has fucked his brains out twice and still refuses to give him his number. And he’s furious that Yunho isn’t wearing the watch San had spent an ungodly amount of money on which is probably unfair because it’s not like Yunho is obligated to. It’s not like San asked him to. He just thought that maybe it would have been nice if he had. 

Maybe it would have given San the hope he so desperately sought and maybe that’s half the problem. This whole mess started because Yunho slept with someone he didn’t have any sort of real relationship, the same as San no matter what the public might think. And what exactly did San bring to the table that was different? Fake dates Yunho’s agency had to pay him to do? 

Smiling becomes harder and harder to do as the night grows longer. San often finds himself blanking out as the awards continue to be announced. The whole thing is incredibly boring. San never even really liked watching them on the TV, just liked to wake up to all the gossip the next morning. This one is incredibly painful as Yunho keeps leaning over to place his hand on San’s thigh or prod him on the shoulder, gentle and silent reminders that he has a job to do. 

Thankfully, he manages to sit up straight and smile when Yunho’s name is called for best lead role. San claps his hands and smiles up at Yunho when the actor stands up to accept his reward. The cameras turn to them and San looks every bit like the doting boyfriend he’s supposed to be as Yunho heads up to stage to receive his reward and give his remarks. 

San honestly doesn’t really remember what Yunho says, having to focus an alarming amount of his brain power on keeping his expression happy for when the cameras focus on him once more. He does notice, however, that at no point does Yunho thank his loving boyfriend for his support. Fitting considering he doesn’t actually have one, andit’s also unlikely to draw any media scrutiny. They’d likely just brush over it if they even notice. 

San notices though because he half expected the actor to at least thank him for the job he’s done. This is their last public appearance, and San had saved his reputation from the garbage. Surely, he deserved acknowledgement for that, no? More than that he just kind of wants reassurance from Yunho that he’d gone a good job. 

That he’d been a good boy. 

Yunho was always quick to throw out compliments like that in bed, so why not now as well? San thinks that his fragile little heart desperately needs the praise and approval right now, but Yunho doesn’t give it. He thanks his fans and the organization for recognizing his talent and hardwork before giving another bow as he leaves the stage with his award in hand. 

San is mindful to keep his smile on and his applause going until the cameras finally pan away from them and back to the hosts of the award show. His facade drops almost as quickly as he managed to form it, but Yunho doesn’t comment on it when he returns to his seat. He doesn’t tell San he did a good job. He doesn’t say anything to him. 

By the time they get back into the SUV with Hongjoong, San is mentally worn out and ready to just go home. Hongjoong turns around in his seat to address them, seeming pleased as he tells San, “Good job. Thanks for all your hard work up until this point. I just transferred the last payment to your bank account.” San nods his head awkwardly as his way to acknowledge Hongjoong’s words because saying “You’re welcome” feels unbelievably inappropriate at the moment.

Yunho continues to give him the silent treatment, failing to hold so much as a simple conversation with San as he leans over the console to speak quietly into Hongjoong’s ear. His manager cocks his head towards the actor to listen to what he has to say. San can’t deny that he’s curious about what they’re discussing, but he’s also bone tired and can’t muster the energy to try and eavesdrop. 

The only things on his mind right now is how warm and welcoming his bed will be when he gets home and all the dumb things Seonghwa probably has lined up for him to do tomorrow. Leaning back in his seat, San closes his eyes, determined to catch some well deserved rest. The car slowly crawls into motion, and it’s enough to nearly put him to sleep just like that. 

Yunho sits back in his own seat and innocently shrugs when his manager frowns at him before Hongjoong’s eyes glance at San. “Are you sure he even wants to? He looks tired,” his manager murmurs. San cracks open one eye, certain that they’re talking about him. 

“It’s fine.” Yunho waves his manager off. “Just do it.” 

San has half a mind to ask what the hell they’re talking about, but he’s honestly too tired to even ask. He only finds out what Yunho must have asked his manager when they pull up to a familiar apartment complex. 

San’s mouth goes dry and his heart rate picks up as he stares up at the tall building from his window. Then his gaze snaps over to Yunho, accusatory, but the actor pays him no mind as he unbuckles himself and steps out of the car. He pauses to meet San’s gaze when the assistant doesn’t move from his seat. All it takes is a cock of his eyebrow and a crook of his finger for San to move. 

Ever so obedient, the assistant stumbles out of his seat and out of the car. Yunho smiles at him—obviously pleased—and San’s heart flutters, always so eager to please the actor. 

Yunho leads him up into his penthouse by the hand. He strips San bare and lays him across the bed to ravish his body. They both know what this will lead to, so San moves willingly when Yunho pins him face down in the sheets. He holds him still by the hips as he sinks his cock into San’s waiting hole. 

San arches his back and moans, but his eyes are fixated on the nightstand. The box he left there is gone, and San can’t help but wonder what happened to that watch. But then Yunho swivels his hips, fucking San slow and hard until the little assistant tightens up on him and cums into his sheets. 

Grinning, Yunho runs his fingers down San’s sides, holding still until San finally stops jerking and writhing from the shock and pleasure of his orgasm. Then he fucks into him again—harder and faster this time—wringing a second orgasm from the smaller man. 

Yunho slips his cock from San after that, feeling sorry for him when he whines and shakes from the oversensitivity. He would have liked to finish with his cock still buried into San’s tight heat, but instead he jerks himself off until he cums hard against San’s ass. His cum paints San’s ass cheeks, covering his hole in a sticky, white mess. It’s somehow a perfect end to this bizarre relationship they’ve cultivated—with San so obediently pliant beneath Yunho. 

And when San wakes up and goes to work the next day, it’s as if none of it had ever happened in the first place. 

  
  
  
  


San is late the next day and when he finally bursts through the company doors like a whirlwind, Seonghwa is red-faced with anger and on his way out. His bags are slung over his shoulders and clearly unbalanced if the way the actor keeps leaning to one side is any indication. San grimaces at the sight, but he’s glad he caught Seonghwa before the actor left for his schedule. 

“You’re late!” Seonghwa barks at him. Already he’s pulling the bags from his shoulders to shove into San’s hands. The assistant doesn’t even bother trying to protest or excuse his tardiness, scrambling to arrange Seonghwa’s bags on his shoulders the way he always does. The entire time Seonghwa berates him, ranting about San’s duties for him and complaining that San needs to care more about his personal needs.

“I told you I would see you bright and early today! That means you should have been here before me. A coffee ready for consumption. My bags neatly and orderly prepared. How dare you show up late and make me do all the work?” Seonghwa jabs a finger in San’s face. Then he sucks in a breath and continues his ranting, but San honestly stopped listening the moment the actor had started. 

He allows Seonghwa to go unabated, letting the actor flush out all the anger in his system as San quickly falls into his routine. The assistant grabs the last of Seonghwa’s bags before he ushers the actor out of the building, all the while nodding his head in agreement to Seonghwa’s empty threats and ineffective scoldings. 

The van is already in the parking lot with its engine running as San leads Seonghwa over to it. The actor apparently never runs out of breath, chewing San out for something about personal loyalty now as his assistant calmly guides him into the van. 

“Yes, I’m very sorry for the inconvenience,” San sys insincerely during a brief pause in Seonghwa’s rant. The actor bristles at his insolence and tells San to retrieve a coffee for him as soon as they reach their destination because he hasn’t had one all morning. 

True to his word—and likely also driven by his annoyance of San’s tardiness—Seonghwa indeed works San into the ground. As soon as San returns to him after completing one of Seonghwa’s silly errands, the actor just sends him on another. This combined with Seonghwa’s already busy schedule that day leaves San almost no time to rest, and by the time they’re back in the van and heading back to the company building, San is unimaginably worn out.

Seoonghwa glances over at him from his seat, arms crossed over his chest as he watches the way San’s eyes keep dropping. “Why were you late today, anyways?” he finally demands, bothered by San’s uncharacteristic lateness. The only other time he ever failed to be there for the actor had been those annoying instances where Yunho would ferry him away to do stupid things like eat dinner together and pretend they like each other. 

San covers his yawn with his hand and slumps down on his seat. “I woke up late,” he answers simply. 

Seonghwa’s lips twist up into a sour expression. “Why?” 

“Because...there was an awards show last night.” San glances over to Seonghwa with an exasperated expression on his face. “You know, the one we both attended.” 

“Don’t treat me like I’m a little kid,” Seonghwa snaps at him. “I’m asking you why it made you late.  _ I _ showed up before you.” 

“It ran late.” San looks down at his lap in an effort to avoid meeting Seonghwa’s gaze. 

“So?” Seonghwa leans over his seat to stick his nose into San’s personal space.

“So…” San audibly swallows and shies away from the actor. “It ran late, so I went to bed late, so I woke up late, so I got to work late?” he tries. 

Seonghwa clearly doesn’t buy it. “And? So did I.” He narrows his eyes at his assistant suspiciously, growing tired of this game they’ve been playing. “So what’s the real reason you were up so late? Did you get wasted celebrating the fact that you’re finally free from Jung Yunho?” He blinks when San goes mute and turns his head away. Whatever reaction the actor anticipated, his assistant’s sudden dejection isn’t one of them. 

“Anyways, I’m sorry for being late,” San apologizes sincerely this time in a bid to change the subject. “It won’t happen again. I promise.” It’s a guarantee he’s confident he can make because the events leading up to him rushing through the doors behind schedule this morning are never going to happen again. 

  
  
  
  


The contract San signed has been fulfilled. There are no other events San is expected to attend with Yunho and no more of those awkward scheduled dates he has to plan for. There are no cameras to perform in front of. In short, there is no reason for them to meet anywhere for any reason anymore let alone to talk to each other. Not that they could. Yunho had never asked him for his number, and San had been too cowardly to try and ask for his. 

They did it though. They successfully fooled the public into believing they were committed in a long term relationship with each other. They believed that San was the person in those photos of Yunho leaving a hotel in the early morning hours that had started this whole mess to begin with. They believed that they’d met there for a little rendezvous together, even though San had only ever been intimate with Yunho in his bed, and they saved the actor’s reputation. But now it was all over. 

To his benefit, San expected that Yunho or his agency would swiftly come forward with an official statement to announce their break up, but oddly enough they kept silent. They said nothing, apparently content to leave the media and public in the dark. From what San can tell the radio silence from Yunho as well as their lack of appearance together has led to much speculation about whether they’d broken up or had simply gotten better at maintaining their privacy. Even after Yunho had been confronted about it a few times, he’d kept quiet and refused to neither confirm nor deny if he was still in a relationship after weeks passed and San failed to make an appearance. 

San wonders what they would think of the truth: that the whole thing had been staged. That Yunho wanted nothing to do with him unless he was on camera. That San had been bought to look like a pretty boyfriend and keep quiet about the whole thing. San wonders what they’d think of Yunho then. 

His mood remains low in the coming weeks and months as he grapples with the pain of a break up. A pain that’s made infinitely worse by the fact that there wasn’t even a break up for San to be upset about. He just felt like there was. 

It’s clearly coming with him to work. San can tell because even Seonghwa seems hesitant to lay into him with his endless requests, perhaps feeling sorry for his perpetually tired and sad assistant. San wishes he wouldn’t hold back. He wishes Seonghwa would bury him with banal tasks, anything to keep his mind from pitifully agonizing over a man who never wanted him to begin with. 

So when Seonghwa finally, albeit tentatively, sends his assistant out to get him two cups of coffee, San jumps at the opportunity to do something. “I’ll be right back!” he announces before bounding out of the studio where Seonghwa is participating in a photoshoot. 

The nearest coffee shop is two blocks away from the studio. Normally, San would bitch and moan under his breath about how Seonghwa probably planned this type of shit out just to annoy San and why the hell did he need two coffees today anyways? 

None of those thoughts plague San today though. He moves with a little skip to his steps because the brain power it takes to remember Seonghwa’s ridiculous coffee order—a medium vanilla latte, four shots and three pumps of sugar free vanilla syrup, with almond milk—is enough to keep his mind from other thoughts. Namely the thoughts of Jung Yunho that had been plaguing San as of late. 

It’s a good fifteen minute distraction if nothing else, and San returns to Seonghwa side much perkier than he’d been before. So much so, in fact, that Seonghwa eyes him suspiciously as he reluctantly accepts his coffee like he expects it to be poisoned. “Two vanilla lattes for the greatest actor I’ve ever known. Made just the way you like them,” San says as he offers the cups to Seonghwa during a break in the shoot. 

The actor takes just one of the cups, lifting the lid up to take a cautious sniff of his drink but it smells the way it’s supposed to. San blinks and shoves the second cup in his face because Seonghwa had asked for two, so why had he only taken one of them? 

“Get that out of my face,” Seonghwa growls at him. He curls away from the second coffee and hisses like a wounded animal San is threatening with a weapon. “That one’s for you.” 

San freezes, brain screeching to a halt as he processes Seonghwa’s words. “What?” he blurts out unintelligently. 

“The second one is for you.” Seonghwa takes a careful sip of his own drink. 

San swears he doesn’t tear up as he brings the coffee to his chest. “For me?” he repeats, still unable to comprehend the actor’s unexpected charity. 

Seonghwa glares at him and snaps, “Don’t make me repeat myself again.” 

Lips forming into a small pout, San takes a sip of the second coffee. It’s absolutely disgusting. San prefers his sweeter—ideally not with the sugar free syrup—and whole milk, but it doesn’t matter how much the taste clashes with his own personal taste buds. It’s the fact that Seonghwa is willing to share the coffee with him. He takes another sip, tilting his head back to gulp it back as a tear slips down his cheek. 

“Wha—are you _crying_?” Seonghwa sputters. 

“No.” San wipes the tear away from his eye only for more to slip down. “I’m not crying,” he sniffles. 

Seonghwa gapes at him, immediately out of his depth with a crying assistant on his hands. He doesn’t know what to do when San is _crying_. “Stop—stop crying!” he stutters, swatting at San and smacking him on the arm. 

“I’m not crying,” San insists more firmly this time, wiping the rest of his strays tears away. He feels silly crying in the first place. There’s nothing really to cry about, but San feels suddenly overwhelmed because Seonghwa isn’t normally like this. He’s  _ never _ like this. “I just didn’t know you could be nice.” 

“I’m always nice!” Seonghwa looks offended, one hand pressed to his chest like San had left a deep, emotional wound there. San huffs a little laugh, wiping away one more stray tear that escapes from his own amusement. “Anyways, just stop crying. I don’t know what to do with you when you’re like this. I feel like you might just burst into a fountain if I ask you to do the wrong thing.” He flaps a hand at San when his assistant sniffles and wipes at his nose with the back of his sleeve. 

“No.” San shakes his head. “I would actually prefer it if you just treated me like normal. I’d like—it would be best if everything just went back to normal as quickly as possible.” 

Seonghwa eyes him skeptically as he takes another sip of his coffee. He doesn’t say anything at first, carefully deciding his next move, before he ultimately concedes with an upturn of his chin and a dismissive wave of his hand. “Well, in that case hurry over to the nearest bakery and get me something to eat. You have twenty minutes before we need to move on to the film set so hurry!” 

“I thought you were being put on a diet,” San reminds him gently. 

“Did I stutter?” Seonghwa snaps. “Food. Hungry. Now!” San doesn’t try to question him again as he scurries out of the studio and down the street in search of the nearest bakery. 

He returns with a light chicken salad sandwich just as they’re wrapping up the photoshoot, Seonghwa nudges the bags at his feet in a silent order for San to pick them up. The assistant hands over the sandwich, ignoring the actor’s complaint about how he wanted a curry croquette, and bends down to gather Seonghwa’s belongings. It’s annoying. It’s normal. San feels relieved. 

It’s when they’re alone in the van while the driver leaves to take a quick bathroom break that Seonghwa pounces on his assistant. He turns in his seat and reaches out to yank San closer by the collar of his shirt. His assistant squeaks, one of Seonghwa’s bags falling out of his lap in the process. 

“What the hell is going on with you?” the actor says. 

“What?” 

“Oh, don’t play stupid with me.” Seonghwa sniffs and leans away from San. “You’re unusually sulky. You’ve been that way for weeks now. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with you which is entirely inappropriate when  _ you _ should be careful of making  _ me _ upset. Not the other way around!” 

“I’m sorry,” San apologizes sheepishly. “I know I haven’t been in the best mood, and I’m really sorry. I’m trying to make sure it doesn’t affect work—” 

“Well, it is!” Seonghwa throws his arms up to wrap around the back of his seat, head lolling over to the side to stare at San. “How am I supposed to boss you around when it looks like you might start crying at any second?” 

“I’m not going to cry—” 

“You might! You did.” Seonghwa clicks his tongue and looks up at the roof as San reaches down to pick up the bag from the floor. “So, tell me what’s actually up. What did Jung Yunho do to you?” 

San tenses up, clutching Seonghwa’s bag to his chest. “What? Why would you—I never said anything about Yunho.” 

“You didn’t have to. I connected the dots,” he taps a finger against his temple, “in my head. So just spill. What happened?” 

San’s gaze drops down to his feet and he curls his toes inwards to press them against each other. “Uh, well nothing happened…” he answers quietly, flinching when Seonghwa immediately glares at him. He knows that the actor is annoyed by his answer, but San doesn’t know what else to tell him. That was what happened and also the problem. Nothing happened, but San had been stupid enough to think that something might. 

“Oh, come on,” Seonghwa scoffs. “He did something. Your contract ended two months ago. He paid you well for having to save his ungrateful ass, but I’ve seen the way you look away whenever a coffee shop has one of the magazines with him on the cover on display. So what did he do before you guys parted ways? Tell you your hair part was ugly? That your jeans were so last season?” 

“We slept with each other,” San answers bluntly just to get Seonghwa to shut up. 

It works. The actor chokes on his own spit, legs flailing as he struggles to sit upright. “You _what_?” 

“We slept together.” San licks his lips and stares down at the bag in his lap. 

Silence reigns between them for a moment while Seonghwa’s brain struggles to catch up with his hearing. “You—you slept together? Like after the awards ceremony?” His fingers curl into fists as he turns to face his assistant. “Wait, was  _ that _ why you were late? Because you were busy getting boned until 3AM?!” 

“4AM,” San mutters petulantly. 

“Oh, my fucking God. Who cares! You slept with Jung Yunho? My rival? My greatest nemesis? My own assistant slept with him?” 

San puffs his cheeks out, debating whether or not he should keep quiet and allow Seonghwa to just rant into his ear, before he unhelpfully adds, “Three times.” 

“Three times?” Seonghwa repeats, instantly deflating. “Three times what?” 

“We slept together three times.” 

“You slept together _three_ —” Seonghwa cuts himself off and covers his hands with his face. It takes him almost a minute to gather his thoughts at which point his driver returns to the van and slides into his seat. San presses his lips together in a thin line as the engine hums to life and figures that this conversation is likely over now that they’ve been joined by a third party. 

Oh how wrong he is. 

“Okay, and?” Seonghwa prompts. 

“What do you mean and?” San’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

“I mean, tell me you got some dirty details on him!” Seonghwa grabs San by the arm and shakes him. “You do, right? You must. You slept with him three times! Does he have a small cock? Unsightly tattoos somewhere on his body? Give me something to work with!” 

“I...what?” 

“You know! Something we can sell to the tabloids and ruin him with. Come on, San. If you went through all that trouble to sleep with him you might as well tell me something I can use against him!” The actor’s eyes are bright, a scheme already forming in the back of his head, but San’s lips tremble because he’s unable to play along with Seonghwa. 

“I really liked him, Seonghwa,” he says, fighting the way his voice shakes when he speaks. “He wasn’t always nice, but there were times when I really thought…” He reaches up to trace the necklace hiding beneath his shirt with one hand. “And he slept with me. More than once. I’m probably just stupid though, right? He’s an actor. It was all for the cameras.” 

“San—” 

“I’ll be okay,” San insists as he pulls out his phone to check Seonghwa’s schedule. “It’s fine. I just need a little time to get back into my old routine, but you’re super busy now so it’ll be easy!” He smiles, but Seonghwa doesn’t look convinced. San can’t blame him considering how unconvinced he feels anyways. 

  
  
  
  


It’s already late summer before San sees Yunho again. Between Seonghwa’s very packed schedule as of late and San’s own personal self-ban from social media, he hasn’t thought about the actor much. He still sees him in passing from time to time on the cover of some magazine or in the new drama he starred in that just started airing. San really wants to watch it. His mother raves about every episode and tries to coax him out of the room whenever it airs, but San can’t. He just can’t because he’s petty. 

He’s over it by the time summer rolls around. It feels like that weird game he played with Yunho happened years ago in a dream, and he can finally move on, so he’s more than a little startled when Seonghwa calls him in a semi-panic and leaves him less than twelve hours to mentally prepare himself for another meeting with the actor. 

“This is bad. This is  _horrible_. How could this happen to me?” Seonghwa’s whines echo throughout his bathroom as San’s toothbrush hangs limp from his mouth, and he frowns at his own reflection and goes through a quick mental list of what Seonghwa might be referring to. Had they forgotten something today? Was there something on the schedule tomorrow that he should have mentally prepared the actor for? 

“The drama shoot starts tomorrow!” Seonghwa wails. 

San winces and goes back to brushing his teeth. It’s eleven o’clock at night. Did Seonghwa have to be this loud? “I thought you were looking forward to this show?” He leans over the sink to spit out the toothpaste. “You were all excited that this was more like a scary thriller and not some cheesy romance.” He rolls his eyes since the actor can’t see, very distinctly remembering how Seonghwa had proclaimed that people would look at him in this new role and rave about how much he had matured. 

San had snorted and muttered, “Where?” under his breath, but Seonghwa heard him anyways. 

“No. Drama’s great. Drama will do me so much good,” Seonghwa quickly back tracks while San rinses his mouth. “It’s the second lead that’s the problem.” 

“Huh? How so? They cast Hyunjin for the role, didn’t they? I thought you loved him.” San wipes his mouth off with a towel and flashes his teeth in the mirror. Then he picks up his phone and steps out of the bathroom to head into his own room instead. 

“I do. Bless his heart. He’s such a sweet kid and great actor, but the director cut him out of nowhere!” 

Frowning, San turns off the speakerphone and holds it up to his ear instead. “Why on earth would he do that? Filming starts _tomorrow_.” 

“Scandal,” Seonghwa sighs because that’s pretty much always the reason. “It’s so bullshit. Some dickhead got a picture of him at a club smoking. Claimed it was drugs. It’s all over the tabloids. It’s just a fucking cigarette though. Hyunjin smokes from time to time!” Another sigh escapes the actor. “Anyways, it didn’t look good so the director decided to cut his losses and drop him from the line up.” 

“Cut his losses? _Filming begins tomorrow_ ,” San stressees. What the hell were they going to do? Postpone the start of filming? San tries to mentally map out Seonghwa’s schedule for the next few months and calculate any issues or damage this might cause. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it could cause some scheduling conflicts in the future. Seonghwa was set to begin filming for another drama later this year. 

“Hah. Well that’s the craziest part. He already found someone he’s not only happy with as a replacement but who was willing to fill the spot on short notice.” 

“Oh, thank God then. So the shoot is still on for tomorrow?” San flips off his light switch and pulls the covers back so he can crawl into bed. 

“Well, that’s the problem,” Seonghwa says. “He fucking got Jung Yunho.” San slips and smacks his knee against the bed frame, howling in pain which Seonghwa misinterprets as him howling in anger apparently. “Right? Our arch enemy, San!” 

Since San had told Seonghwa about his unrequited crush on Yunho and utter humiliation of having slept with the guy multiple times only for it to go nowhere, the actor had taken it upon himself to expand Yunho’s circle of enemies to include him. San lets him indulge in it. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Unfortunately.”

“How’d he even get him? Why would Yunho agree?” 

“I don’t know!” 

“Okay, well.” San slaps a hand against his forehead and properly crawls into bed this time. “Try to get some sleep. We’ll definitely need it.” 

Despite his own warnings, San does not get much sleep that night. He gets next to none, showing up the next day with prominent dark circles and droopy eyes. Seonghwa squeaks as soon as he sees him and shoves a little bottle of concealer into his hands. 

“I will  _ not _ have Jung Yunho seeing you looking like a wreck,” he exclaims when San questions the concealer. “I won’t let him think he beat my assistant and me by extension!” 

By the time they arrive on set, Yunho is already there, or San presumes he is because he sees Hongjoong wandering to and fro with the script in hand as he questions every crew member he can find. San hasn’t seen or talked to him since the awards show at the end of last year. He sees Yunho’s manager, but not Yunho himself. 

Hongjoong turns to walk back the other way, pausing when he spots Seonghwa and his crew coming in. San is patting his under eyes, wondering if the makeup Seonghwa caked on him is obvious or not, when their eyes meet. San blinks at Hongjoong who quickly looks away and scurries on to another crew member. San’s hands drop from his face, but Seonghwa doesn’t even allow him a chance to ponder before he’s snapping his fingers in San’s face and telling him to get his space set up.

It’s at that moment that Yunho comes around the corner of the set with the director practically hanging off his arm, and it’s actually the director who notices them first. “Ah. And this is our esteemed lead actor, but you guys already know each other, right?” He motions to Seonghwa as he leads Yunho over to him. 

The air immediately turns awkward, and everyone seems to notice but the director. San stays hunched over Seonghwa’s bag, resolutely trying to ignore Yunho, but he can feel the actor’s stare on the back of his neck like a brand. 

“To be honest, I was delighted when you agreed to replace Hyunjin. I figured you’d be great considering you’ve previously worked with Seonghwa and your, uh, close relationship with his staff.” San almost chokes on his own spit, although he can’t exactly blame the director. They haven’t been talked about in months now, but San knows their relationship status remains ambiguous among the public. 

“San. Go get me a coffee,” Seonghwa suddenly orders him. 

“What? Now?” San blinks up at the actor. 

“No. I’d like my coffee in four hours time from now— _of course I mean now!_ ” Seonghwa stomps his foot and glares at him. 

“But I haven’t finished getting your things laid out,” San protests as he struggles to pull Seonghwa’s favorite blanket from where it’s stuffed in one of his bags. 

“Forget the blanket! Coffee. Now!” 

San scrambles off with a little yelp to do as Seonghwa demands. It’s only on the way back to the studio that he realizes the actor was trying to keep him away from Yunho. 

  
  
  
  


It’s the third day of filming. Yunho hasn’t said a word to him, not that San is surprised at this point. He is incredibly sulky though, playing with the sleeves of the hoodie he brings with him every day because the crew keep the AC  _ blasting _ at all times on set and it gets freezing inside the studio despite the near stifling heat outside. There’s a short break for lunch when a food truck that Yunho’s management team had called in for catering shows up. 

“To show the director our appreciation for giving us the role on such short notice,” Hongjoong had explained when the director sputtered. 

“I’d rather starve than eat it,” Seonghwa grumbles under his breath. 

“They have your favorite though. Beef.” San points out, still arguing with Seonghwa because he doesn’t want to run to the nearest bakery and pick up lunch for them in this weather. 

“You’re seriously going to eat that? Feed the hand that poisoned you?” 

San shrugs his shoulders and simply says, “I’m hungry.” 

“Unbelievable!” 

Pushing himself to his feet, San wipes his hands down on his pants and announces, “I have to pee first,” before he turns to head for the bathrooms. Hopefully by the time he’s done, most of the crew will have been served, and San won’t have to stand around waiting for his share. 

He shoulders open the bathroom door only to freeze when he realizes that someone is washing their hands at the sink. Not just anyone. Jung Yunho. The actor turns off the water and shakes his hands as he looks at San who tries to force his body to move. He should turn around and leave. No! He should just march into one of the stalls and do his business. Maybe he should actually just say hi? 

“Have you eaten yet?” Yunho asks before San can decide what he should do. 

“Huh? Oh. Uh. No,” San stutters out. 

Beautiful. 

“Why not?” 

“Oh, you know,” San squeaks out before clearing his throat to try and get his voice back under control. “That’s a good question. I should go eat.” In spite of his bladder crying out for relief, San turns on his heels and robotically moves for the door. Vaguely he hears footsteps quickly approaching from behind him and as he pulls the door open, a long arm reaches out over and pushes it close again. 

San blinks at the door, taking an embarrassingly long moment to figure out why he can’t open the door. “What are you doing?” He yanks the door handle, but Yunho holds it shut. 

“Don’t run. I wanted to talk,” Yunho says. 

San laughs, high pitched and nervous. Talk? Since when does Yunho ever want to talk with him least of all? “What do you mean you want to talk? There’s no one to perform in front of in here.” 

Yunho furrows his eyebrows together in confusion. “What are you talking about?” 

Scoffing, San turns around to lean back against the door but can’t meet Yunho’s eyes in spite of his bravado. “You never talked with me in private ‘cause you hate me or something, right?” 

“What?” Yunho blinks. “I don’t hate you. I thought—I figured—” He bites his tongue, unable to articulately voice his thoughts. 

“You never wanted to talk to me in the car,” San points out. He reaches out to grab Yunho by the arm, trying to pull him away from the door. “You never wanted to talk to me unless you had to. You didn’t even ask for my number or anything. Figured you were done with me after the contract…” He trails off when his hands bump into something underneath the sleeve of the button up shirt that was a part of Yunho’s costume. 

He yanks the actor’s arm down to face level and rolls back the sleeve of his shirt. His heart skips a beat when he sees a familiar watch wrapped around his wrist. His fingers trace along the leather strap, noting the way the strap seems a little worn like Yunho has been wearing it frequently. 

“This is—” A lump forms in his throat and he’s unable to finish the thought. 

“For me, right?” Yunho finishes for him. “You left it on my nightstand so I figured it was on purpose.” 

“It was.” San angles Yunho’s arm so he can admire the watch face. “It was a gift for you.” 

Yunho hums, stretching his fingers out to touch the collar of San’s hoodie. The assistant gasps, loosening his grip on Yunho’s arm so the actor can more freely feel along the base of his neck. “And you still wear that necklace,” he notes after a moment. 

San sputters, face heating up in embarrassment. “That’s because well…” He tries to come up with some kind of excuse but can’t manage one on the spot. The truth is that he just really liked the piece of jewelry and wasn’t quite ready to give up the whole illusion that he’d dated Jung Yunho even if only for a short period of time. San would die before he told Yunho that, though. “I’m just surprised. You weren’t wearing it at the awards show and afterwards at your apartment I didn’t see it anywhere…” He brings the focus back to the watch as his eyes once again narrow on the accessory. He likes how it looks on the actor. “I figured you probably laughed and tossed it out.” 

“Why the hell would I do that?” Yunho cocks his head to the side, and San suddenly feels silly for saying it. 

“I don’t know! It just seemed like something you would do,” San defends. After all, he seems pretty good at just tossing other people to the curb when he no longer needs or wants them. He bites his tongue to refrain from saying that though. 

“I wore it originally.” Yunho turns his arms so he can admire the watch. “It’s really nice, and I wanted you to know that I appreciated it. I guess I totally forgot to thank you when I saw you that night though.” 

San blinks up at Yunho. “What? But...you didn’t wear it that night.” 

“Wooyoung got all upset and said the color of the leather clashed with my outfit. He took it off and kept it at his studio.” He turns his arm further to show off the watch to San. “Thank you, by the way. I really like it.” 

“I—you’re welcome?” San’s voice pitches like he’s unsure if this is the appropriate response. “Uh, you said you wanted to talk, right? Is that it?” 

Yunho takes a step away from him and drops his arms back to his sides. “Uh. No. Actually, tomorrow is a full day of filming for me and Seonghwa, right? I wanted to ask if you would be up for dinner after that? Just the two of us.” 

San stares uncomprehendingly at Yunho. “What?” he blurts out. “Don’t you—I thought you hated me?” 

“I told you before that I don’t—” 

“You gave me the cold shoulder every time we were alone, during that last event even the only thing you ever said to me was to ‘smile because it was my last job,’ you constantly insult what I wear, and you fucked me, thrice, and then I never heard from you again.” San lists each offense off on one finger, managing to hold back any tears but not the slow burning rage that causes his body to tremble. 

“I didn’t—!” Yunho instinctively defends before he sighs and suddenly deflates. “Alright, look, I didn’t like you at first.” 

San makes a wounded noise and shrinks down. He figured as much but actually hearing it from Yunho hurt a lot more than he expected it to. “Why?” he asks. “What did I ever do to you? Or was I just bland?” 

“You were bland.” San winces at the blunt response. “You were also Seonghwa’s assistant, and we were paying you to pretend you were my devoted boyfriend, so yeah I didn’t like you at first. Just figured you were a money grubber with an ego the size of a small island like your boss.” 

San bristles at his accusation. “Seonghwa might be egotistical and vain, but you can’t badmouth him in front of me! And need I remind you I quite literally didn’t have a choice? My boss threatened to fire me if I didn’t agree to your stupid terms. You probably could have just demanded I play along without paying me a single cent and she still would have held me down until I signed it.” 

Yunho laughs, covering his mouth with his hand and feeling relieved that the dejected mood the assistant had been in was quickly replaced with fiery anger. “How did someone like Seonghwa land someone as loyal as you anyways?” he asks, amusement shining in his eyes. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, come on.” Yunho rolls his eyes. “He’s a tyrant. I really looked forward to working with him on that movie, but he hated me from day one for no reason, and he was constantly demanding things from everyone. Doesn’t he boss you around all the time too?” 

“Sure.” San shrugs his shoulders as he agrees. “He’s demanding and unreasonable sometimes, but he’s not a bad person. He just shows his affection in other ways.”

“That’s one of the reasons I like you, you know.” Yunho’s lips quirk up into a small smile. “You’re so loyal and so willing to see the good in an otherwise unbearable person.” 

San huffs, wanting to make a snide remark about how there was nothing good to see in Yunho so his point is moot, but he can’t work the words past the lump in his throat. The blush on his face probably wouldn’t have made it very convincing either. “You just said you don’t like me,” he points out instead. 

“I said I didn’t like you at first,” Yunho corrects. “If you’re willing to see the best in every person, I guess you could say I’m always looking for the worst. You were under contract with us. I didn’t want to open up and be nice to you or something. I worried that you might use that against me down the road.” 

“You’re insanely paranoid, you know that?” San narrows his eyes at the actor who shrugs sheepishly in response. 

“I’m an actor. This is a cutthroat industry. I was just trying to protect my career.” 

Crossing his arms over his chest, San slumps against the bathroom door and considers his words for a moment. So, Yunho had been so cold and distant because he worried that San might try to ruin him later after the contract expired and thought San could only logically be his enemy because he was under contract. A contract that Yunho’s agency drafted and San had been more or less coerced into signing. He wants to claw something. 

“So when exactly did that start to change then? Because color me confused, but I  _ never _ quite got the feeling that you liked me,” San sniffs. 

“Never?” Yunho blinks at his response, looking quite honestly befuddled by San’s response. 

“Well—” San quickly backtracks. “I mean, I guess sometimes I actually thought you might like me at least a little bit, and that’s why I thought—” He bites down on his tongue, nearly drawing blood, but stopping himself just short of revealing just how stupid he’d been. That he thought he might actually have a chance with the actor. “I just figured it was only for the cameras. It was  _ always _ only for the cameras,” San complains. 

“No it wasn’t.” 

“You always ignored me in the car!” 

“I didn’t know how to talk to you when Hongjoong was around.” Yunho scratches at his nose. “I started to like you after the first time we slept together. I’ve...never had as much fun with a partner before as I did with you. And that whole shopping date—I know it was for the cameras and the paparazzi were following us everywhere—but it was fun. I had fun. I wanted you to remember it. That’s why I got you that.” His fingers trace along the silver chain around San’s neck, gently tugging at it until the pendant peeks out from his hoodie to dangle in front for the whole world to see. 

San’s breath hitches, holding still as Yunho plays with the necklace. “What about the awards show? You barely spoke a word to me.” he asks when he finally finds his voice again. 

“Sorry.” Yunho sets the pendant against San’s hoodie and pets it down. “I just didn’t know what to say. Felt embarrassed after everything we did, and it was the last event we hired you for. I was admittedly resentful even though it wasn’t your fault.” He looks away bashfully, but San doesn’t know what to think. He’d been torturing himself this much over a misunderstanding? 

“It’s been months since you contacted me,” San mutters bitterly, crossing his arms over his chest although he reaches up to play with the necklace. “You never even asked for my number.” 

“I admit it slipped my mind,” Yunho laughs nervously. “I thought I already had it, but then I realized too late that I didn’t.” 

“Hongjoong has it.” 

“Hongjoong wouldn’t give it to me.” San blinks at his unexpected answer. “He likes you,” Yunho quickly backtracks when he notices the way the assistant’s expression drops. “And he’s grateful for what you did, but he’s my manager and for him there’s a difference between hiring someone to date me and actually going through the pains of letting me date someone and keep it under wraps. So he didn’t want to give me your number.” 

“So,” San pauses, feeling a whole mix of emotions between anger and elation. “So you let me just stew in my agony for over six months? And now you want to go out and get dinner?” 

Yunho flinches at the bite in his voice, hands fidgeting at his sides. It’s a side San has never seen of the actor, but it feels genuine. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—I didn’t realize that you were hurting this much.” He runs his fingers along the strap of his watch, picking at the leather, and San suddenly thinks he knows why it looks so worn out despite how new and expensive the watch had been. “To be honest, I kinda pounced on the opportunity to fill this role when I read that the director dropped the original cast member. I knew Seonghwa was the lead, so I contacted the director on my own and asked if I could audition for the part if it was still vacant.” He shrugs his shoulders and laughs at himself. “Hongjoong was pretty furious with me when he found out. Tried to call the director to cut me because it didn’t quite fit with my schedule, but I refused.” 

“You really wanted to be a part of this drama that badly?” San asks. 

“Hm? What? No, not really. I mean, I guess the screenplay is pretty good.” Yunho looks at him briefly before his gaze turns down to the floor. “I just knew that Seonghwa was in it, and I figured if he were on set you were bound to be around.” 

To San’s annoyance, his anger almost immediately evaporates, heart fluttering in delight at the implication in Yunho’s words. “You mean, you personally requested the role because you wanted to see me again?” 

“I wanted to ask you out,” Yunho corrects, clearing his throat. “Like, a real date this time. Private. No one else has to know.” 

San pretends to think about it even though he’s unreasonably pleased and happy that Yunho went through all that trouble just to ask him on a date. It doesn’t, however, erase the anger and pain from the last half year though, and San isn’t one to just let that go. “I won’t say no, but I will warn you that you have a lot to make up for.” 

“I can work on it.” Yunho’s lips quirk up into a small smile. 

“The restaurant that we went to for our first ‘date,’” San says slowly, “I want to go there again.” Yunho nods his head, not having any complaints about the request. “I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu even if I hate it. And I want a bottle of wine.” Yunho hides a laugh behind his fist. “And dessert,” San adds as an afterthought. 

“Any other requests?” 

“You drive,” San answers immediately. “I want this to actually just be the two of us if it’s really going to be a date.” 

“I can do that.” 

“Really?” San tilts his head to the side and bites down on his bottom lip, worried he might have been asking for too much. 

“If it’s for you, yeah.” 

San swears those aren’t butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It’s hunger pangs. “Okay, fine then. Tomorrow. After filming. You’ll make a reservation right?” 

  
  
  
  


The atmosphere at the restaurant is just as uncomfortable as San remembers although this time he thinks it’s mostly because he still can’t understand the menu and despite the nice clothes Yunho had bought for him once, he still swears that the waiter is better dressed than he is. Fancy places just really aren’t his scene, he’s learning to realize. But at least this time sitting across from Yunho doesn’t feel too bad. 

Yunho lets him order whatever he wants, smiling fondly as San struggles to pronounce the menu item to the waiter who smiles politely and nods his head encouragingly. “Uh, the most expensive thing.” San gives up halfway through and points his finger at the menu item instead. With a strained smile still on his face, the waiter takes both of their menus and scurries away to fetch the bottle of wine Yunho had asked for as well. 

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” San says once the waiter is gone, digging into the pocket of his sleek, black blazer for his phone. 

Yunho raises his eyebrows and takes a sip of his water. “What is it?” he asks when San taps through his phone in search of something. 

It takes a little longer than he expects—they haven’t exactly been in the news or gossip columns lately—but it’s not like it’s particularly difficult to find a picture of them kissing on that date. “This.” San moves to hold his phone out only to quickly snatch it back and hold it protectively to his chest when the waiter returns with their bottle of wine. 

He pours them both a glass before setting the wine bottle down beside Yunho and leaves them with a little bow. San waits until he’s out of sight before he finally reveals his phone to Yunho. The actor plucks the phone from his fingers and brings it closer for inspection. 

“Wish they would have gotten a better picture,” he remarks regretfully before handing the phone back to San and taking a sip of his wine. 

San shoves his phone back into his pocket and fixes the actor with a suspicious look. “Honestly, I was going for a kiss on the cheek,” he says. “Did you do that on purpose or was it an accident?” 

“What? Kiss you?” Yunho swirls the wine around in his glass and sighs. “Have to admit I’m a little disappointed that you confessed you only wanted to kiss me on the cheek after everything else we’d already done.” 

“That’s not the point!” San hisses under his breath. “Was it on purpose or not?” 

Smiling innocently, Yunho shrugs his shoulders and takes another sip of his wine. “Guess you’ll have to try again and see, huh?” 


End file.
